PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND MENTORING ASSTRATEGIC MECHANISMS FOR CONTINUOUS TEACHERPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: LESSONS FROM THE REPUBLIC OFKOREA

Abstract

The quality of education is increasingly associated with teachers' ability to engage in continuous professional learning throughout their careers. Contemporary educational reforms have shifted the focus of professional development from short-term training courses toward collaborative, practice-oriented, and school-based learning models. Among these, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and mentoring have emerged as effective mechanisms for strengthening teachers' professional competence, promoting reflective practice, and supporting instructional innovation. This paper examines the institutional experience of the Republic of Korea in implementing PLCs and mentoring within its national teacher professional development system. Drawing on a comparative analysis, the study explores the applicability of these approaches to the modernization of Uzbekistan's continuous professional development system. The findings demonstrate that collaborative professional learning enhances instructional quality, leadership capacity, and teachers' readiness for educational innovation. A conceptual framework for adapting Korean experience to Uzbekistan is proposed