LEARNING COMMUNITIES: EFFECTS AND CHALLENGES – A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

The primary objective of this scoping review, carried out using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework, is to understand the organizational, cultural and pedagogical changes generated by Professional Learning Communities in schools over the last five years, and to find gaps in the reviewed literature that could guide future research. The results indicate that, although studies on these communities are numerous and reveal their positive effects, they are essentially based on a theoretical and conceptual understanding of their construct, on short-term activities, and in limited situational contexts. There is, thus, a noticeable lack of research studying such communities from a longitudinal perspective and as drivers for building learning organizations.