TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY IN RESTRUCTURING SCHOOLS

Professional community among teachers, the subject of a number of rece nt major studies, is regarded as an ingredient that may contribute to the improvement of schools. The research reported in this article is g rounded in the assumption that how teachers interact with each other o utside of their classrooms may be critical to the effects of restructu ring on students. The analysis focuses on the type of professional com munity that occurs within a school and investigates both the organizat ional factors that facilitate its development and its consequences for teachers' sense of responsibility for student learning. The findings suggest that wide variation in professional community exists between s chools, much of which is attributable to both structural features and human resources characteristics, as well as school level. Implications for current school reform efforts are discussed.