EMPOWERING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR CONTINUOUS TEACHER DEVELOPMENT: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of empowering Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on the professional competence of Islamic senior high school teachers. Employing a quantitative survey design, data were collected from 163 teachers selected through proportional random sampling using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire, and analyzed via simple regression. The major findings reveal that PLC empowerment has a significant, moderate positive effect (r = 0.475) on teachers' professional competence, particularly in enhancing subject mastery, instructional planning, and professional attitudes. In conclusion, PLCs play a strategic and empirical role as an effective collaborative medium for continuous teacher development. Therefore, it is recommended that educational stakeholders and policymakers provide stronger support and systematic program management to optimize PLC empowerment. Future research should also expand its scope by incorporating additional variables, such as leadership and organizational culture, to provide a broader perspective.

Keywords: Professional Learning Communities, continuous teacher development, professional competence, systematic management