APTeach: Professional Learning Communities as an Invaluable Method of Reform

Abstract

APTeach.com is a website where chemistry teachers digitally convene to participate in professional development both synchronously and asynchronously. Zoom live discussions and Slack channels whereby members exchange ideas about their practices are the modes of diffusion in the community. Specifically, the synchronous discussions are led by one or more Teacher Leaders – members of the community who meet a relatively strict set of criteria who are among the most experienced on the website. This study aimed to quantify the hypothesized benefits of these interactions on members’ perception of their own practice through qualitative and quantitative analysis. It was revealed that the sample, largely, reported positive emotional outcomes after persistently attending the webinars.