Resistance to Change Within Education
Graduation Date
Spring 2004
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program Name
Education
Program Director
Madalienne F. Peters, EdD
Abstract
Teachers often are resistant to hierarchal changes in education and curriculum potentially resulting in unsatisfactory and inefficient implementation of new programs. How can change be received in a positive way, rather than met with resistance? Is there a way to recognize factors that contribute to resistance, before they arise? This study looks at resistance to change within education by surveying both new and veteran teachers’ attitudes toward change. Previous research focused on three areas: Factors that contribute to resistance to change, faces or types of resistance, and what we can do about resistance. These areas provide background to ease resistance to change by educators for future curriculum initiatives. In this study, a survey was used to investigate these three categories, as well as, looking differences between new and veteran teachers. Techniques are suggested to more efficiently and parsimoniously implement new curricula. A small two-school elementary school district was used to look at this district’s reception to change and the variation between new and veteran teachers. The results showed the district’s teachers, both new and veteran, reception to change were positive and welcoming. However, previous research claims that change will always encounter resistance and the change process will not be any easy one. This district may be an exception. This study provided strategies to ease the reception of change and ways to utilize the views of new and veteran teachers to aid in the process.