Teacher Preparation Programs that Implemented Changes with support and input from NextGen Working Groups:
The NextGen WA project's Working Groups developed expertise in their respective areas, and shared that expertise with institutions that prepare STEM teachers through activities such as webinars and professional development workshops. Each of the following institutions have developed plans to implement changes in their institutions based on the information, models, and tools developed by NextGen Working Groups.
NextGen's working hypothesis is that Implementation Teams will be more successful if they attend to a model of institutional change, and the model we are using is the PKAL model by Elrod and Kezar described in Increasing Student Success in STEM: A Guide to Systemic Institutional Change (2016). The metaphor of a river is used to describe the non-linear process of change: generally flowing in a specific direction, but with frequent eddies and turbulence.
As Implementation Teams navigated this change process, NextGen partners encouraged them to attend to the following important aspects of successful, sustainable, change: spend time establishing vision and collaborative relationships, examine your landscape by gathering quantitative and qualitative data; identify and analyze challenges and opportunities; choose strategies after determining readiness for action; implement and measure results of implementation; disseminate results, plan next steps and make iterative changes in implementation strategies. Foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Download the NextGen Vision for teachers in 2030 (Acrobat (PDF) 71kB Feb7 19) for more information.