There is support at an international level that the concept of a redefined teaching professionalism expects teachers’ self-directed commitment to continuous learning related to the individual’s own expertise and experiences (The International Alliance of Leading Institutes, 2008; OECD, 2011) and that effective professional development strategies must create opportunities for teachers to learn together with others in the school and in more extended networks of teachers (OECD, 2015). This on-going longitudinal study of an urban school community is framed in the constructs of teacher empowerment. Teacher empowerment is premised on the belief that teachers have both the skills and knowledge to improve the conditions in which they work (Bogler & Somech, 2004). As noted by Short, Greer and Melvin (1994), teacher empowerment is a process where teachers develop the competency to assume responsibility for their own growth and development while solving ongoing problems as they emerge.

Six dimensions of teacher empowerment have been identified and include decision making, professional growth, status, self-efficacy, autonomy and impact (Short & Rinehart, 1992). Short & Rinehart (1992) suggest that teacher decision making must actually impact practice if it is to be effective and revolves around teachers actively engaged in important decisions that relate to all aspects of their work in schools. Professional growth is linked to continuing professional development (PD) and teachers’ perceptions that schools provide them with access and opportunity to become engaged in their own learning. Status is present when teachers believe they have respect and professional support from their administration and colleagues as a result of their knowledge, expertise and practice. Self-efficacy refers to the teachers’ perceptions of self and whether they have developed the ability to facilitate student learning through their teaching practices and curricula they have developed to meet student needs. Autonomy is a result of teachers’ beliefs that they are in charge of critical features of the teaching and learning process in their setting. Impact is the teachers’ perception that they actually impact what happens in schools.

Design of what has become known as the Urban Schools Group (USG) was cognisant of research findings regarding the centrality of capacity building and teacher networking to effective PD (Armour & Yelling 2007). Desimone (2011) describes PD as “interactive and social, based in discourse and community practice” (pp. 68-69). When this PD is relevant to teachers, based on their needs and developed both for and with them, it is most meaningful. Lieberman and Miller (2008) argue that professional learning communities provide a context where, through collaboration and communal interaction, new ideas and strategies are cultivated and teacher competence is nurtured and developed. Learning communities as an avenue for PD have pushed educators to consider the role of teachers in their own development and encouraged the design of PD in exciting, challenging and teacher-led ways (Lieberman & Miller, 2007; Little & Curry, 2008).

The USG intended to provide a group of physical education teachers in urban schools with PD to empower them to address issues posed by their challenging work situations. This research examined the development of a learning community with teachers in the USG and specifically sought to determine: 1) How does the development of a learning community with teachers in the USG provide support in setting and achieving group goals? 2) How does the USG facilitate these physical education teachers’ experiences of planning and teaching students in the context of challenging learning environments? and, 3) What can we learn from this USG to inform development of learning community models of good practice for teachers working in challenging environments?

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