The Development of a Curriculum Based on the Concept of Peer-to-peer Intellectual Coaching with Experiential Learning to Strengthen the Ability to Build a Professional Learning Community

Abstract

This research employed a Research and Development (R&D) design aimed at developing a curriculum based on the peer-coaching approach integrated with experiential learning to enhance teachers’ abilities in building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in basic education. The research was carried out in four phases: (1) studying fundamental information for curriculum design, (2) developing and validating the curriculum, (3) implementing the curriculum with volunteer teachers, and (4) evaluating the curriculum’s effectiveness. The sample consisted of 30 volunteer teachers under Phrae Primary Educational Service Area Office 1. Research instruments included the developed curriculum, its implementation manual, a PLC competency assessment form, and an evaluation form adapted from the Kirkpatrick model. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, percentage) and an inferential one-sample t-test were employed to compare posttest scores with a 75% benchmark.

The results showed that:

1. Teachers initially lacked PLC-related competencies, particularly in reflective practice and shared leadership.
2. The developed curriculum comprised eight components: background, principles, objectives, content, learning activities, structure, materials, and evaluation, implemented through four stages—planning together, exchanging knowledge, coaching and mentoring, and reflection and evaluation.
3. After implementation, teachers’ mean PLC competency score was 81.33 (S.D. = 6.27), significantly higher than the 75% criterion at the .05 level (t(29) = 3.42, p < .05, d = 0.62).
4. The curriculum evaluation revealed that teachers’ satisfaction and learning outcomes across all four Kirkpatrick levels were rated at the highest level (𝑥̄ = 4.58, S.D. = 0.48).

          The study concludes that the peer-coaching and experiential learning–based curriculum effectively enhances teachers’ professional learning community competencies and can be applied in broader educational contexts.