Anis Handayani, Dyah Setyowati Ciptaningrum, Anita Triastuti
Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been commonly implemented in educational context, specifically in English language education. While prior studies have continuously reported PLCs’ contribution and impacts on teacher professional development (TPD), some also reported several challenges in implementing PLCs. In this regard, a comprehensive review on the studies on PLCs in recent years may provide a comprehensive depiction of PLCs in supporting TPD. Employing the PRISMA framework, our systematic review explores the studies on PLCs in the context of English language education in the last six years, the actual implementation, and the impacts on teaching practices and students’ learning. Drawing from several databases, 18 articles were selected in accord with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Our review mainly uncovers that PLCs were mostly conducted in Asian contexts compared to Western and have been changed in their implementation over the last six years with online, offline, and mixed-mode coming into use. Furthermore, positive impacts on teaching practices were also reported, but the impacts on students’ learning were rarely explored. This review identifies potential for future research on PLCs and effective forms of PLCs implementation. © 2025, Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.. All rights reserved.
Department of English Language Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia
