http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
How teachers of one school experienced concurrent changes
The purpose of this inquiry was to examine how teachers
articulated their experiences when they were confronted with
multiple/simultaneous changes. Changes must be assimilated,
rejected or modified by teachers to fit into their worlds of
understanding. Teachers of one school were interviewed over
the course of one school year during which several
significant changes were taking place. Initial interviewees
were selected through purposeful random sampling as key
informants had yet to be identified. The interviews began
with grand tour type questions, but became more focused as
themes began to emerge from the data. Toward the end of the
study, and even into the next school year, focus groups were
utilized to confirm or disconfirm emergent themes. These
groups usually took the form of interdisciplinary teams, but
some were selected due to the content of the members'
previous interviews. Themes emerged that challenge
conventional notions of the change process. Two of these
were the role of the principal and the influence of
interdisciplinary academic teaming on the change process.
Though the principal at the school studied did everything
right, according to research on facilitating change, in the
end he failed as a leader. It was not his methods, however
that let him down, it was that the teachers just didn't like
him. He offended some of them with his bravado and after
that his obvious professional knowledge did him little good.
Lack of likability overshadowed good works. The other theme
that challenged conventional notions was the teaming of
teachers at a time of change. Research on change had been
done, primarily, with individual teachers. Steps that
teachers go through while accommodating change had been well
documented. These teachers, however, accommodated multiple
changes, seemingly, with ease and facility. They said that
the teaming let them do things faster, better, and with less
stress. As further change in education seems inevitable,
more research in this area could serve to inform
administrators, school boards, and state boards of the value
of teaming and mutual planning time for teachers.
"Major Subject: Curriculum and Instruction".
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