Clémence Michaud

Professional development of supervisors through professional learning communities

This article presents the results of a study involving members of a community of practice composed of school principals and vice-principals and department heads who became responsible for faculty evaluations following the implementation of the Program Evaluation of Teachers (NBDE, 1999). Nine CP meetings were examined to gain insight on how this setting enabled these teaching supervisors to collectively train and enhance their practice, specifically with regard to their new role and the proposed program. Our analysis was based on Wenger’s social theory of learning, with particular emphasis on teaching practices (learning by doing). Results shed light on (1) the structural challenges impeding the program’s implementation and (2) the inherent aspects of its integration and proposed solutions to facilitate change in supervisory practices. Two themes emerged during the study: participation or the construction of meaning (various evaluation concepts) and reification (various concepts in terms of tools or practices).