Educational Change Doesn't Come Easy: Lead Teachers' Role in a Change Initiative

• In Event: Professional and Organizational Learning: Teacher-Led Educational Reform

Abstract

It has been argued that lead teachers are uniquely positioned to promote change within schools. Thus, the New Zealand Ministry of Education launched an initiative to train mathematics lead teachers to teach their students in mixed-ability groups with the aim that they would then spread the new approach to other teachers in their schools. The study examines this approach to educational change by using a problem-based methodology. Careful, in-depth interviews with lead teachers from six elementary schools enabled us to uncover their theories-of-action and some of the reasons behind the variable change observed. Findings show the critical importance of lead teachers’ own capability and leadership authority for them to affect change. Implications for designing and implementing educational change are discussed.

Authors

• Frauke Meyer, The University of Auckland

• Kelly Slater-Brown, University of Auckland

• Viviane M. Robinson, University of Auckland