A review of empirical research on professional learning communities in Malaysia (2010-2020): Findings and themes

Professional learning communities (PLC) have evolved and attracted the interest of the global education system as one of the ways to improve teacher's learning. Besides, PLC is seen to be able to build the capacity and the sustainability of the education system to move forward with the current global demands. Although the PLC term is rather new in Malaysia, it has been established in the education system for the past decade. This article will discuss the progress of PLC empirical studies from 2010 to Jun 2020. This review through a narrative synthesis has found that researchers have adapted different dimensions and models to represent the concept of PLC, school's practices of PLC in school, leadership roles and issues arising from PLC. However, research on PLC in Malaysia is still limited compared to western literature. Thus, the researcher proposes that more empirical studies should be done especially on the development and impact from the practices of PLC in Malaysia from all perspectives for PLC to progress forward to become a sustainable culture to improve teachers' learning and positive student's learning.