The Distribution of Resources and Expertise and the Implementation of Schoolwide Reform Initiatives
W. Penuel, K. Frank, A. Krause 2006 Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences Presentation at International Conference on Learning Sciences

Using a sample of 499 teachers from 23 schools engaged in locally-designed schoolwide reform initiatives, the authors analyzed how well access to expertise predicted the influence of reforms on teachers' practice. They relied on longitudinal data obtained from two surveys of teachers' social networks and self-reported effects of their school's initiative on their practice. Among resources analyzed, they found that access to materials and time for collaboration per se were not predictive of teacher change, but reported access to mentors and coaches was. In addition, when teachers received help from colleagues who had already been implementing their school's initiative, they were significantly more likely to change their practice. Taken together, these two findings suggest that interactions with colleagues function as continually changing resources that help individuals interpret and apply the demands of initiatives for their own practice, helping reduce variability in reform implementation.



Subject: Education
Resource Type: Pedagogic Resources:Research Results, Conference Paper
Research on Learning: Ways Of Learning:Social Networking