Date of Award

7-1992

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ded)

Abstract

This study focused on factors which affected two elementary teachers' change during the implementation of a curricular innovation. The curricular approach through which the change was explored and described was an integrative curriculum. Although integrative curriculum is not new to education, it was considered an innovation by the participants and their district.

Interviewing and observing were the major data gathering procedures used to inquire into the complex interrelationship required in understanding the factors affecting teachers' change. Final analysis was completed by developing a coding system to categorize the patterns that emerged.

The findings from the study identified external (factors over which the teachers had minimal control) and internal factors (factors over which the teachers had some control) which affected the teachers' implementation of the curriculum. Conclusions drawn from the findings included: (a) public policy was facilitating when funding was adequate, (b) administrative and resource support needed to be continuous, (c) in order to be effective, teacher developed curriculum needed support from colleagues and administration, (d) for an innovation to be effective, all the participants must be involved in its development, (e) individual differences are evident in the stages of the change process, and (t) curriculum innovation done on a local level may be restricting by mandated learner outcomes that are too narrow and lack flexibility. Educational implications raised for consideration included: (a) administrators and teachers should have a working knowledge of the change process, (b) it is necessary for teachers to have a greater awareness of public policy, (c) confirmation of adequate human and financial resources should be a prerequisite to the adoption of an innovation, and (d) school districts should adopt a combination of innovations which are complimentary rather than single projects.

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