Shifts in teacher talk in a participatory action research professional learning community

Most teachers take part in professional development of some kind at some point in their careers. However, many teachers report that professional development neither supports their practice nor improves results. Thus, more work needs to be done on how professional development can meet those needs and what helps to support effective professional learning. A key factor in teacher professional learning is talk. In this study, a group of educators created a professional learning community using concepts from participatory action research to support their interactions and focus their work on achieving their goals. The purpose of this learning community was to discuss and improve writing instruction practices. This study focused on the language used by teachers and the ways in which that language changed over the course of time. The use of case study methods provided a vehicle to tell the story of this learning community through the teacher talk that took place. Findings indicated that teacher talk changed in this learning community in positive ways as a result of the collaboration and orientations of the teachers involved