| dc.description.abstract | This is an enthnographic study of six elementary classroom teachers in a large
southern Ontario school board of over 100 schools. The study addresses the
problem of reconciling commonly assumed theories in the field and the theories-inaction
that guide the daily practice of teachers in their classrooms by attempting to
ascertain what teachers' practical and theoretical knowledge looks like, and how it
is applied in the arena of educational change. The main purpose of the study is to
develop an in depth understanding of the teachers' personal and professional stance
with regard to curriculum change in the classroom. Qualitative methods are
employed for exploring the teachers' perceptions of change. Interviews are used
primarily for data collection. The study indicates that the teachers deal with
multiple changes within commonly-defined elements of program. They approach
change through four dispositions or frames of mind: the procedural, practical,
personal and perceptional. A conceptual framework is developed that represents an
organizer that is immediately applicable and relevant to the classroom. Implications
for teacher-practitioners are to build capacities for focussing on the manageable
aspects of change through the four dispositions. Theorists need to acknowledge an
expanded role for teachers as decision-makers, self-directed learners and leaders.
Therefore, implications for the field include support through resource allocation,
personalization of staff development, flexibility of choice and structure, and
integration of theory with practice. | |
