Professional Learning Communities as Predictors of Public Senior High School Social Studies Teachers’ Job Performance in the Northern Region of Ghana: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach
Joseph Bentil

Abstract
As a model for teachers’ professional development, Professional Learning Communities (hereafter as PLCs) was introduced into Senior High Schools in Ghana in 2024 to boost professional proficiencies of teachers. However, empirical studies into its efficiency in improving the job performance among teachers is at teething stages in Ghana. Therefore, this study dwelled on Vygotsky’s (1978) Socio-Cultural Learning Theory to investigate the causal effect of PLC on job performance among Social Studies teachers in the Northern Region of Ghana. Working within the positivist’s paradigm, the study employed quantitative research approach using the causal-comparative research design. Census sampling techniques was used to sample 375 Social Studies teachers with the instrument being a questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) with the aid of SPSS and AMOS version 28. The findings established that Social Studies teachers highly engage in PLCs programmes. Besides, their job performance was disclosed to be very good. The findings further revealed that PLCs had significant positive effect on Social Studies teachers job performance. Consistent with these findings, it was concluded that the engagement and practice of PLCs were good predictors of Social Studies teachers’ job performance in the public Senior High Schools in the Northern Region of Ghana. Therefore, the study recommended that headteachers and Social Studies teachers should be supported and oriented to intensify their engagement in PLCs programmes so as to enhance their job performance in Senior High Schools in the Northern Region of Ghana and beyond.

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