Expressions of agency among women in professional learning communities in the Arab-Bedouin minority

This study aimed to trace the expressions of agency of the educational staff in clusters of kindergartens in the Arab-Bedouin minority in Israel, operating as professional learning communities (PLCs). The article presents the phenomenon through an interpretive approach, based on interviews with 10 stakeholders at various hierarchical levels. The findings reveal the contribution of PLCs to three distinct expressions of agency within the work of the educational teams in the kindergarten clusters. First, the resonance of collective tribal values within the educational space. Second, coping with challenges in the professional community through collective values. Third, the female educational staff as agents of change, leading the shift in tribal cultural norms and perceptions. The discussion offers insights into two trends in staff agency: expressions of agency that remain within the framework of traditional Bedouin tribal values and expressions of agency emerging through engagement in PLCs that transcend this framework.