1. Introduction

A recent report from the OECD (2012) stated the significant importance of improving equity and reducing school failure. Thus, it mentions social justice as being a concept paramount to establish in schools in order to fight the social inequalities. This objective aims at making sure that all students are treated in an equitable way and that their varied needs are met in order to ensure that their learning progresses.

In an effort to lead more students to succeed and to improve equity, certain schools redefined their method of functioning and rebuilt their culture to become organizations in which the members constantly learn, all the while questioning themselves in order to improve their teaching practices. This is in line with researchers who affirm that professional learning communities (PLC) have a positive influence in improving student learning (Harris, 2006; Hopkins & Reynolds, 2001; Hord & Sommers, 2008). The purpose of the PLC is to go beyond improving teachers' well being and professionalism, but to also exert a positive change for students and a significant impact on their success (DuFour & Eaker, 2004; Louis, 2006). It is also pertinent to determine how teachers progress while implementing PLC`s and how this affects school organisation. Our research question is formulated as follows: What kind of repercussions does this type of functioning have on school organization?

2. Professional Learning Communities

 Even if a school constitutes a very pleasant community for the teachers and a place where all the students feel valued, it must ensure a certain pedagogical rigour so that each student can develop their full potential (Hord & Sommers, 2008; Leclerc & Moreau, 2011b; Schussler, 2003). Gathering a group of teachers to discuss pedagogical practices isn't sufficient to create a PLC. In schools that have taken on this type of functioning, teachers collectively pursue common goals to improve student success and assume a shared responsibility regarding targeted results (Eaker, DuFour & DuFour, 2004; Fullan, 2005; Hord, 1997, Leclerc, 2011 b; Schussler, 2003). In comparison to a more traditional school in which teachers perceive their classroom as their personal domain, the PLC ends isolation because of a structure that solicits collaboration and the willingness of all the interveners to focus on student success (DuFour, 2011).

In a PLC, there is a community, a group of individuals with common interests and shared values and in which there is an interdependence between individuals focusing on students' success. The teachers wish to continuously develop professionally and are eager to share their knowledge. There is presence of a learning  project in which a priority field is targeted and where the improvement of the students lies at the heart of the questioning

(Dufour & Eaker, 2004; Roy & Hord, 2006). There is also a mutual involvement of all interveners towards the vision and the values chosen by the school where the success of the students is a priority.

Working in professional learning communities implies the development of competencies in teachers by favoring the exchange of experiences among colleagues. Each member of the team develops professionally by leaning on each other’s expertise, which thus creates a solid culture of sharing and continuing training (Hord & Sommers, 2008). The word ''learning'' between the words ''community" and ''professional" refers to the continued improvement of learning, not limited to teachers, but more so of students (Stoll, Bolam, McMahon, Wallace & Tomas, 2006) through the constant progression of pedagogical practices.

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