Introduction

This chapter introduces innovations in teachers' professional learning networks (PLNs) in China and then provides an overview of the book.

Professional practice in schools and colleges is widely acknowledged as a collaborative activity (e.g. Bridges & Husbands, 1996; Cheng & Pan, 2019). Teacher PLNs, which are rooted in concepts of professional practice as a collaborative activity, have drawn increasing attention from educators and researchers in various countries in recent decades (Darling-Harmmond et al., 2017; Hairon & Tan, 2017).

However, most studies on teachers’ learning in PLNs have focussed on teacher learning within a single school (e.g. OECD, 2013; Qian & Walker, 2021; Zhang & Wong, 2018). In recent years, cross-school collaboration has come to be viewed as necessary for furthering school improvement and reform and has received attention in many education systems, including those in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and North America (e.g. Connolly & James, 2006; Giltin, 1999; Ulibarri & Scott, 2017; Ye, 2024). While educational collaboration varies, it generally includes collaborative relationships among teachers and schools, as well as among teachers, university faculty, and administrators.