Developing and Testing a Professional Learning Community Model for Special Education Improvement in Nigerian Secondary Schools

This doctoral study develops, implements, and evaluates a Professional Learning Community model specifically designed to support special education improvement in Nigerian secondary schools, generating original knowledge about effective collaborative professional development in low-resource, high-need educational contexts. Professional Learning Communities, characterised by shared vision, collaborative inquiry, collective responsibility, and data-driven improvement, have substantial international evidence as a school improvement mechanism, but no model has been specifically developed and tested for the Nigerian special education context. The study follows a design-based research methodology in three iterative cycles across eight secondary schools in Plateau, Nasarawa, and Benue States, selected to represent varied school types, urban and rural contexts, and levels of existing inclusive education implementation. In each cycle, the Professional Learning Community model is implemented, evaluated through mixed-methods data collection, and refined based on findings before the next cycle begins. Data sources include teacher focus groups, classroom observations, student outcome records, and administrator interviews. The final model is evaluated in a larger validation study across an additional twelve schools. The study generates both the validated Professional Learning Community model itself and a theoretical account of the conditions, processes, and mechanisms through which collaborative professional learning improves special education in Nigerian contexts. Both represent original contributions to the professional development and school improvement literature. Keywords: Professional Learning Community, special education improvement, Nigeria, design-based research, professional development.