In this article I discuss the potential of professional learning communities (PLCs) within the South African education context using a practice theory lens. PLCs are presented by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) as collaborative learning communities that are fundamentally social and should be established in all schools (DBE, Republic of South Africa, 2015). In order to consider how PLCs could be used within the current South African schooling context to support teacher development, the article provides an exposition of practice theory that is exemplified by a discussion on how PLCs can support teachers’ pedagogical practice. Drawing on practice theory that states that the world is constructed and ordered by social practices rather than individuals and their attitudes, behaviour, or choices, the article suggests that the conceptual framework of social practice theory provides a productive way forward in conceptualising the social nature of teachers’ pedagogical practices and consequently ways in which sustained improvement in teaching and learning can be analysed and understood as a social and individual phenomenon. Keywords: practice theory; professional learning communities; South African schooling; teacher development; teacher pedagogy

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专业学习社区在支持教师发展中的作用：社会实践理论视角

在本文中，我使用实践理论的视角讨论了南非教育背景下专业学习社区 (PLC) 的潜力。PLC 是由基础教育部 (DBE) 提出的协作学习社区，从根本上讲是社会性的，应该在所有学校中建立（DBE，南非共和国，2015 年）。为了考虑如何在当前的南非学校教育背景下使用 PLC 来支持教师发展，本文提供了实践理论的阐述，举例说明了 PLC 如何支持教师的教学实践。借鉴实践理论，该理论指出世界是由社会实践而非个人及其态度、行为或选择构建和秩序的，本文认为，社会实践理论的概念框架提供了一条富有成效的前进道路，可以将教师教学实践的社会性质概念化，从而将持续改进教学和学习作为一种社会和个体现象进行分析和理解。关键词：实践理论；专业学习社区；南非教育；教师发展；教师教学法