Veteran elementary teachers collaborating in Professional Learning Communities: A phenomenological study

The outcome of this inquiry assists in understanding how veteran teachers view participating in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) and how their strengths could be utilized in this context within an elementary school setting.;Findings revealed that a PLC was useful for providing a foundation for collaboration and adult learning among veteran teachers at this school. The teachers said that as they participated, they became reinvigorated, increased their knowledge of instructional practices, and experienced positive student outcomes; they also noted an improved school culture. While PLCs have become common in secondary schools, one of the study's greatest challenges was to implement and sustain a PLC despite the common planning-time dilemma that exists at this and many other elementary schools.;Keywords: professional learning communities, learning organizations, veteran teachers, teacher autonomy, collaboration, educational reform, Guided Reading, social development theory, andragogy.