Unlocking Growth: Exploring the Impact of Online Professional Learning Communities on Teachers’ Development

This study examines kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of online professional learning communities (PLCs), focusing on the benefits, challenges, and implications for professional development. The findings highlight several key benefits of the virtual learning spaces, including shared goals and responsibilities, cooperation and reflection, atmosphere of relaxation and broader learning resources. However, challenges such as top-down leadership, inadequate inclusiveness, technological barriers, and misunderstandings that hinder trust were also identified. The study suggests that a distributed leadership model, where leadership responsibilities are shared based on teachers' expertise, can help address top-down management and create a more inclusive environment. Expanding the PLC’s scope by involving external stakeholders can enrich the learning experience, while targeted training and support for technological tools can help overcome participation barriers. These findings contribute to the development of more effective online PLCs tailored to the learning needs of kindergarten educators.