INFLUENCE OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES ON EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS IN SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Early childhood education (ECE) quality is fundamentally shaped by teacher effectiveness. Yet
in many developing contexts such as Nigeria, teachers often operate in isolation with limited
access to sustained structured professional development. Although Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs) are globally recognised as a powerful mechanism for improving teaching
quality, empirical evidence on their effectiveness within early childhood education in SubSaharan Africa remains limited, particularly in Lagos State. This study therefore examined the
influence of PLC participation on teacher effectiveness in early childhood education using a
multidimensional analytical framework. Guided by Social Constructivism and Collaborative
Learning Theory, the study adopted a quantitative correlational design. A sample of 84 early
childhood education teachers from four selected Local Government Areas in Lagos State (Ikeja,
Alimosho, Surulere, and Ikorodu) participated in the study. Data were collected using a
structured questionnaire and were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation,
and multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed high levels of PLC participation (M = 3.84)
alongside strong teacher effectiveness across multiple dimensions. Significant positive
relationships were identified between PLC participation and pedagogical competence (r = .62),
instructional practices (r = .58), classroom management (r = .54), and professional growth (r
= .67), all at p < .01. Regression results further indicated that PLC participation significantly
predicts teacher effectiveness (β = .64, p < .001), explaining a substantial proportion of variance
in outcomes. The study establishes PLCs as a critical driver of teacher effectiveness in early
childhood education and contributes to the limited empirical literature within the Nigerian
context. It recommends the institutionalisation of PLCs within teacher professional development
frameworks, alongside strengthened school-based collaboration structures, to sustain
continuous professional learning.
