Implementers' Experiences With Zoology One

• In Event: Integrating Literacy and Science in Kindergarten: Results From a Large-Scale Mixed-Methods Evaluation

Abstract

Objective
The implementation data collection was focused on answering the following research questions:
1) In what ways did the implementation of Zoology One vary between classrooms?
2) What factors influenced teachers’ instructional decisions while implementing Zoology One?
3) How effective did teachers and school administrators believe Zoology One was in improving students’ literacy skills and science knowledge?

Perspective
Century & Cassata (2016) offer a framework for examining the implementation of a reform. For this study, we use their description of “understanding relationships between influential factors, innovation enactment, and outcomes,” (p.174) to frame the discussion of implementation. Most specifically, we use this framework to interrogate why implementers used the curricular resources as they did and to understand the reasons and rationale for any adaptations made. We also explore how implementers who made certain adaptations perceived the overall effectiveness of the curriculum for their students.

Methods
To answer our research questions, we conducted qualitative interviews with implementing teachers and school principals over both years of implementation of the curriculum. All interview data were recorded and transcribed and then entered in to Dedoose, an online qualitative data management and analysis package, and coded using deductively and inductively derived codes.

Data
49 teacher interviews and 20 principal interviews were conducted across the two implementing years of the study. Semi-structured interview protocols were designed to understand the decisions teachers made about the curriculum, the barriers and facilitators teachers faced during implementation, and the perceptions of both teachers and administrators regarding the effectiveness of the curriculum to improve outcomes in literacy and science.

Results
• Implementation of the curriculum varied between classrooms by teachers’ choices regarding use of curricular materials, consistent adherence to the organization of the literacy block suggested by Zoology One, and in the adaptations teachers made to the curriculum. While many interview respondents suggested fairly strict adherence to the curriculum, most teachers used the flexibility inherent in the curriculum to make implementation decisions which they believed would benefit their respective students.
• Classroom-level factors such as physical space and timing, as well as managing classroom behaviors, were most frequently mentioned by teachers as influencing their implementation. Some teachers also felt pressure to adhere to prior practices and were less willing to adopt different strategies or approaches encouraged by Zoology One.
• Teachers and principals believed the curriculum was effective for students, particularly in the areas of reading and writing. There was some concern that the phonics portion of the curriculum was not adequate. Interview respondents were also impressed with the depth of the science content being discussed in Zoology One classrooms.

Significance
This research will add to the literature on curriculum reform and implementation by examining the experiences of teachers in an urban setting. The research highlights the ways in which teachers adapt curricula and the barriers and facilitators they face in adjusting their instructional approaches to align to a novel set of materials. Additionally, the research provides insights into the promise of implementing integrated curricula that combines literacy and content in the early grades.

Authors

• Ryan Fink, University of Pennsylvania

• Katarina Suwak, Consortium for Policy Research in Education