{"id":{"repo_id":"wm-mary","oai_identifier":"oai:scholarworks.wm.edu:internal/9707"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/wm-mary/oai:scholarworks.wm.edu:internal/9707","repository":{"repo_id":"wm-mary","name":"College of William and Mary","base_url":"https://scholarworks.wm.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Professional Learning Communities As A Framework For School Counselor Collaboration And Data Use: An Action Research Study","abstract":"The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) calls on school counselors to take part in collaborative work experiences using data to address problems of practice. School counselors experience professional isolation leading to underperformance (Elliot et al., 2004; Stone-Johnson, 2015). School structures that lack collaborative experiences for school counselors leads to isolation (Bardhoshi et al., 2014). The purpose of this action research study was to assess the influence of a professional learning community (PLC) on the perceptions of school counselors to perform the elements of a PLC, their use of data to solve problems of practice, and their perceptions of benefits and challenges to collaboration within a PLC (DuFour & Eaker, 1998). This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of 6 high school counselors in one suburban school district as they took part in one cycle of a multicycle action research PLC to address school engagement. Qualitative data sources included semi-structured interviews, PLC transcripts, and one focus group. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings indicate: (a) school counselors perceived themselves as capable of positively contributing to the elements of PLCs, (b) PLCs positively influenced school counselors’ data use to make decisions, and (c) school counselors perceived both benefits and challenges to PLC implementation. Results of this study can be used to understand the influence of PLCs on school counselor practices as they move from isolated practice toward comprehensive school counseling practice.","abstract_html":"The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) calls on school counselors to take part in collaborative work experiences using data to address problems of practice. School counselors experience professional isolation leading to underperformance (Elliot et al., 2004; Stone-Johnson, 2015). School structures that lack collaborative experiences for school counselors leads to isolation (Bardhoshi et al., 2014). The purpose of this action research study was to assess the influence of a professional learning community (PLC) on the perceptions of school counselors to perform the elements of a PLC, their use of data to solve problems of practice, and their perceptions of benefits and challenges to collaboration within a PLC (DuFour & Eaker, 1998). This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of 6 high school counselors in one suburban school district as they took part in one cycle of a multicycle action research PLC to address school engagement. Qualitative data sources included semi-structured interviews, PLC transcripts, and one focus group. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings indicate: (a) school counselors perceived themselves as capable of positively contributing to the elements of PLCs, (b) PLCs positively influenced school counselors’ data use to make decisions, and (c) school counselors perceived both benefits and challenges to PLC implementation. Results of this study can be used to understand the influence of PLCs on school counselor practices as they move from isolated practice toward comprehensive school counseling practice.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Southall, Adam Rixey"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"College of William and Mary - School of Education","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Constantino, Margaret","Stronge, James","Staples, Steven"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-01","date_published":"2022-01-01","updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:50:58Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["© The Author"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-4na5-8d25"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-4na5-8d25","href":"https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-4na5-8d25","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.wm.edu/handle/internal/9707","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"source_record":{"url":"https://scholarworks.wm.edu/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Ascholarworks.wm.edu%3Ainternal%2F9707","prefix":"dim"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Constantino, Margaret","Stronge, James","Staples, Steven"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["College of William and Mary - School of Education"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Southall, Adam Rixey"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-06-11T11:29:56.943"]},{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-06-12T11:30:31Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-06-12T11:30:31Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022-01-01"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["dissertation","article"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© The Author"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-4na5-8d25"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://scholarworks.wm.edu/handle/internal/9707"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) calls on school counselors to take part in collaborative work experiences using data to address problems of practice. School counselors experience professional isolation leading to underperformance (Elliot et al., 2004; Stone-Johnson, 2015). School structures that lack collaborative experiences for school counselors leads to isolation (Bardhoshi et al., 2014). The purpose of this action research study was to assess the influence of a professional learning community (PLC) on the perceptions of school counselors to perform the elements of a PLC, their use of data to solve problems of practice, and their perceptions of benefits and challenges to collaboration within a PLC (DuFour & Eaker, 1998). This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of 6 high school counselors in one suburban school district as they took part in one cycle of a multicycle action research PLC to address school engagement. Qualitative data sources included semi-structured interviews, PLC transcripts, and one focus group. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings indicate: (a) school counselors perceived themselves as capable of positively contributing to the elements of PLCs, (b) PLCs positively influenced school counselors’ data use to make decisions, and (c) school counselors perceived both benefits and challenges to PLC implementation. Results of this study can be used to understand the influence of PLCs on school counselor practices as they move from isolated practice toward comprehensive school counseling practice."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Professional Learning Communities As A Framework For School Counselor Collaboration And Data Use: An Action Research Study"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Constantino, Margaret","Stronge, James","Staples, Steven"],"dc:contributor.department":["College of William and Mary - School of Education"],"dc:creator":["Southall, Adam Rixey"],"dc:date":["2025-06-11T11:29:56.943"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-06-12T11:30:31Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-06-12T11:30:31Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2022-01-01"],"dc:description.abstract":["The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) calls on school counselors to take part in collaborative work experiences using data to address problems of practice. School counselors experience professional isolation leading to underperformance (Elliot et al., 2004; Stone-Johnson, 2015). School structures that lack collaborative experiences for school counselors leads to isolation (Bardhoshi et al., 2014). The purpose of this action research study was to assess the influence of a professional learning community (PLC) on the perceptions of school counselors to perform the elements of a PLC, their use of data to solve problems of practice, and their perceptions of benefits and challenges to collaboration within a PLC (DuFour & Eaker, 1998). This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of 6 high school counselors in one suburban school district as they took part in one cycle of a multicycle action research PLC to address school engagement. Qualitative data sources included semi-structured interviews, PLC transcripts, and one focus group. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Findings indicate: (a) school counselors perceived themselves as capable of positively contributing to the elements of PLCs, (b) PLCs positively influenced school counselors’ data use to make decisions, and (c) school counselors perceived both benefits and challenges to PLC implementation. Results of this study can be used to understand the influence of PLCs on school counselor practices as they move from isolated practice toward comprehensive school counseling practice."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)"],"dc:identifier.doi":["https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-4na5-8d25"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://scholarworks.wm.edu/handle/internal/9707"],"dc:rights":["© The Author"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/"],"dc:title":["Professional Learning Communities As A Framework For School Counselor Collaboration And Data Use: An Action Research Study"],"dc:type":["dissertation","article"]},"updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:50:58Z"}