International Conference

Professional Learning Communities as Means for Professionalization and School Development from Initial Teacher Education up to Leadership Development

13th -14th May 2022

The two-day conference offers keynote speeches, workshops, and moderated exchanges by international practitioners and researchers from Europe and beyond. The conference seeks to connect a range of practical experiences on setting up, practicing or facilitating the method of PLCs to scientific findings on structures, procedures, and effects of PLCs in schools and universities. Together with our presenting guests, we seek to spread out the method of PLC as a format that promises learning and professionalization for all who participate in schools – beginning with student teachers up to school leaders – but only if executed in high quality. What to draw attention from multiple perspectives to the requirements that can be compiled in order to get school staff well equipped for successful PLC work.

The Conference will take place at the Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten, the University of Education in Weingarten, in south Germany. The conference will have a hybrid format, meaning that we will love to have you in presence at the University of Education in Weingarten, but at the same time, we will offer opportunities for joining online. The conference language will be German and English. Below you find an overview of the conference programme.

Summary of the ME

The Multiplier Event in Weingarten, Germany took place as a two-day international conference at the University of Education Weingarten. More than 150 guests from German-speaking and European countries discussed the method of PLC for professionalization and school development. Their perspective ranged from initial teacher training to leadership development.

Educational innovations are largely driven by professionals at educational institutions – from day-care centers to schools and universities to continuing education. Since the beginning of the 2000s, professional learning communities (PLCs) have received a great deal of attention in the debate on school improvement. This specific learning-oriented way of cooperation usually teachers professionalizes to achieve better learning and development opportunities for children and adolescents in their classrooms. The further versions that have been explored by the TePinTeach Consortium connect to it.

The two-day conference held in German and English was moderated by Professor Dr. Katja Kansteiner (PH Weingarten) and Professor Dr. Peter Theurl (PH Vorarlberg). The participants – among them student teachers, teachers as well as school heads, school supervisors, and members from different fields of advanced training reflected the implementation possibilities, modes of action, quality characteristics, fields of application, and support needs of PLCs.

The consortium was pleased about the great international interest in the conference which was brought out as a hybrid event addressing both, scientifical and practical discourses. The versatile contributions offered not only broad information and exchange opportunities, but also opened up the discussion of new ideas. The plenary contributions, as well as two workshop strands, could also be attended online. Prof. Dr. Eva Frick, Vice-Rector of the PH Vorarlberg, thanked the PH Weingarten for hosting the conference and praised the very successful cooperation of the international “TePinTeach” project consortium.

In their joint German-English presentation of the TePinTeach project, Katja Kansteiner and Peter Theurl made it clear that the internationally valued method of PLC is considered high potential for the learning of student teachers, too, and thus for school development as a whole, starting with contributions from universities. During the conference, teachers, pedagogical teams, and school administrators presented their particular experiences with PLCs. Other contributions are reflected in the use of PLCs in the second phase of teacher training in Germany and advanced training. The use of PLCs as a professionalization format for lecturers was also discussed.

Professor Dr. Anne Berit Emstad from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, promoted a reflective learning culture in her opening lecture. Effective professional development should be understood as structured professional learning that leads to changes in teaching practices and improvements in pupils‘ learning outcomes. A key question in a teacher PLC, she said, must be: „Is the way we do things here working for our students?“ Therefore, PLCs can be described as communities of continuous questioning and improvement. This requires letting go of previous habits and beliefs.

Other international keynote presentations looked at PLC-related responsibilities and orchestrations at the individual school. To that end, Niels Anderegg researcher at the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich presented principles of teacher leadership and showed the need for coordination of activities and results of PLCs at a single school.

The Dutch school leaders Pierre van Meeuven and Fred Huijboom reported from their dissertations and demonstrated qualities that teacher PLCs could achieve. These insights after two years of research made chances visible as much as challenges.

The Symposium on the TePinTeach project´s research results and the student teachers‘ responses gave the chance to the members of the consortium to report highlights and challenges they experienced.

The Swedish lecturer, Anja Thorsten, finally presented the method of Learning Study, through which teachers reflect systematically on learning-oriented teaching and which can be combined with the method of a PLC.

Finally, many students of the University of Education Weingarten who attended parts of the sessions learned how such a conference can be part of their later activities to improve their job in the field of personnel development.

Event photos
ME7 Insights

Overview of the Conference Program – Abstracts

9.00-9.30Registration and Coffee at Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten/Schlossbauin front of Audienzsaal
2st floor
German & English
9.30-10.00Opening Ceremony Welcome by the universities organizing the conferencehybrid S.232German & English
10.00-10.30Presentation of the TePinTeach Project: PLCs as Method for Teacher Education at Universities and Schools Insights into the projects’ contributions Prof. Dr. Katja Kansteiner & Prof. Dr. Peter Theurl Pädagogische Hochschulen Weingarten,
Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austria
hybrid S.232German & English
10.30-11.00Reflecting Learning Culture(s) Interactive plenum Prof. Dr. Anne Berit Emstad,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
hybrid S.232English
11.00-11.30Coffee BreakAudienzsaal 
11.30-12.30Teacher Leadership and PLC: Sharing Leadership to strengthen Commonality in Diversity/Gemeinschaftliche Schulführung zur Stärkung des Gemeinsamen in der Vielfalt Keynote speech Niels Anderegg,
Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland
hybrid S.232German
12.30-13.30Lunch Pausenhalle 
13.30-14.30Workshops Phase 1 scientific and practical strands see table of workshops below2 strands hybrid/English 2 strands presence/German Rooms in Schlossbau
14.30-14.45Short Break to change rooms  
14.45-15.45Workshops Phase 2 scientific and practical strands see table of workshops below2 strands hybrid/English 2 strands presence/German Rooms in Schlossbau
15.45-16.15Coffee BreakAudienzsaal 
16.15-17.15The PLC, a ‘beckoning’ or a ‘working’ perspective for teacher professionalisation: the development of PLCs and the relationships with school context factors. Keynote speech Fred Huijboom & Pierre van Meeuwen,  
Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
hybrid S.232English
17.15-17.30Summary of the Day and Preview on the next Conference Day Prof. Dr. Katja Kansteiner & Prof. Dr. Peter Theurl Pädagogische Hochschulen Weingarten
Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austria
hybrid S.232German & English
18.30Conference dinner  

Overview of the Conference Program – 2. Day

8.45-9.15Registration and Coffee at Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten/Schlossbauin front of Audienzsaal
2nd floor
German & English
9.15-9.30Welcome to the next Conference Day Prof. Dr. Katja Kansteiner & Prof. Dr. Peter Theurl Pädagogische Hochschulen Weingarten, Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberghybrid S.232German & English
9.30-10.15PLCs as a Method for Professionalization in Initial Teacher Education Symposium on the TePinTeach project’s research results and the student-teachers’ responds Moderation: Prof. Dr. Loucas Louca, European University Cyprus Debaters: German and Austrian Student-Teachers Prof. Dr. Carmen Sanchidrián & Prof. Dr. Elvira Barrios, University of Málaga, Spain Marianna Efstathiadou, European University Cyprus Prof. Dr. Eva Frick, Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austriahybrid S.232English
10.15-10.30Short Break to change rooms  
10:30-11:30Workshops Phase 3
scientific and practical strands
see table of workshops below
2 strands hybrid/English
2 strands presence/German Rooms in Schlossbau
11.30-11.50Coffee BreakAudienzsaal 
11.50-12.50Learning study – a model for professional learning for teachers and student teachers Keynote speech Anja Thorsten, Senior Lecturer
Linköping University, Sweden
hybrid S.232English
12.50-13.00Farewell Prof. Dr. Katja Kansteiner & Prof. Dr. Peter Theurl Pädagogische Hochschulen Weingarten,
Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austria
hybrid S.232German & English
13.00End of Conference  

Overview of the Conference Program – Workshops 1. & 2. Day

 scientific dimensions hybrid S.134,
language: English
practical dimensions hybrid S232,
language: English
practical dimensions presence Festsaal,
language: German
mixed dimensions presence or hybrid,
language: German or English
Friday 13.30-14.30Prof. Dr. Katja Kansteiner
Pädagogische Hochschulen Weingarten
Professionelle Lerngemeinschaften von Schulleitungen als Format zur Professionalisierung und Schulentwicklung

Prof. Dr. Carmen Sanchidrián
& Prof. Dr. Elvira Barrios
University of Málaga Professionalizing student teachers in PLCs – Experiences, limitations and affordances within a school internship context
Beate Kammer GHWRS-Seminar Weingarten PLGs als Professionalisierungsmethode in der 2. Phase der deutschen Lehramtsausbildung – Erfahrungen zu ihrem Einsatz und ihrer BegleitungDr. Heike Beuschlein, Dr. Nina-Catherin Strauss, Niels Anderegg Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich Lernerfahrungen durch Vignetten sichtbar machen, um die Professionalisierung in PLGs zu fördern (Präsenz, S.115, Deutsch)

Friday 14.45-15.45    
Prof. Dr. Anne Berit
& Prof. Dr. Bård Knutsen
Norwegian University of Science and Technology PLC as a method to professionalize university staff members as MA-Tutors – the concept and first results from a -PLC exploration
Thea Skoulia
& Marianna Efstathiadou
European University of Cyprus Practicing PLCs like enjoying Pizza pieces – the application of the TePinTeach model in student teachers and teachers cooperative practice
Martina Przibylla
& Maximilian Klingele
internationaler MA Schulentwicklung Ein Kurzzeit-Einführungskurs in die PLG-Praxis – Vorstellung des Konzept und der Erfahrungen bei der Anwendung in einem Weiterbildungsstudiengang
Gregor Frirdich
Peer-Coaching unter Studierenden als Reflexionsgerüst gemeinsamer Entwicklung in Professionellen Lerngemeinschaften zur Unterrichtsplanung in heterogenen Klassen / Präsenz
 scientific dimensions hybrid S.134,
language: English
practical dimensions hybrid S.232,
language: English
practical dimensions presence Festsaal,
language: German
mixed dimensions presence Senatssaal, language: English
Saturday 10.30-11.30Andrea Kehrer Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten Professional orientation on heterogeneity and possible consequences for cooperative practice like PLCs & Susanne Schmid Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten Teacher cooperation in Baden-Württemberg: Insights into results on current cooperation practices and measurement of the PLC-statusProf. Dr. Loucas Louca European University of Cyprus Experiences with online PLC practices during Covid times – Challenges and Chances realized and possibilities to facilitate      Prof. Dr. Peter Theurl
& Prof. Dr. Eva Frick
Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg Zielgerichteter Kompetenzerwerb in der Schulpraxis  – das Konzept und die Arbeit mit dem Aktionsplan in studentischen PLGs und PLGs ihrer Mentor*innen