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Session 2

Acting as a change agent

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Acting as a change agent

It is one thing to create a new curriculum but you can’t assume that teachers in schools will be enthusiastic about using it.

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Common dilemmas faced by teachers

Organising the children on an individual basisGiving children a degree of control over their use of time, their activities and their work standardsSeeking to motivate the children through intrinsic involvement and enjoyment of activitiesAttempting to integrate various elements of the curriculumTrying to build up co-operative and social skills

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A recent researcher indicated that teachers have the following teaching styles:

Reproduction teachers – they are concerned directly with the improvement of performance – they use cut and dried methods that workMeaning teachers – are aware that their own interpretations are limited. They try to enable students to obtain better understandings. They try to clarify their experiences to students

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Teaching styles continued…

Open teachers – are those who acknowledge to themselves and others that there are problems of communication to be resolved. They do not create the impression that they know allClosed teachers – are those who do not communicate to others about their inadequacies. They are relatively narrow in their communicationsSurvival teachers – are those who are not just really concerned about learning. They just want to survive in difficult classrooms

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Some definitions

Diffusion is the spontaneous, unplanned spread of new ideas. It involves a special type of communication between individuals and groups because the messages are concerned with new ideas. Diffusion is really a one-way process. Most frequently it is affected by an exchange of ideas and information between individuals

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Definitions continued…

Dissemination has a narrower focus and applies to the specific procedures used to inform individuals and groups about an innovation and to gain their interest in it. Some people see dissemination as mainly a marketing activity. Others see it within a cultural framework. They maintain that you need to be aware of a school system’s attitudes and administrative structure and use dissemination activities that are suitable for it

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Change strategies and tactics

A strategy is a plan for replacing an existing program by an innovation. There are a number of strategies but as a general guide the following three are typically used:

Power coercive strategies are based on the control of rewards and punishments and are relatively easy to apply. That is, they are extrinsic in nature.

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Change strategies and tactics continued…

Normative/re-educative strategies refer to actions intended to manipulate recipients so that they can see the situation differently. This can be achieved by biased messages, persuasive communications and by training workshops. The recipients are trained or re-educated to appreciate the beneficial aspects of a particular innovation

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Empirical-rational strategies rely upon the recipients realising that they should change to the new innovation in their best interests. The strategies rely upon providing detailed knowledge about an innovation by holding workshops, seminars and demonstrations

Change strategies and tactics continued…

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Change strategies

Power-coerciveUse rewards and punishment

Normative–Re-educativePersuade persons to see things differently

Empirical-RationalUse detailed knowledge/evidence

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Tactics

Tactics are specific actions that are taken to reinforce the impact of a strategy. There are many possible tactics that might be used. They can include the following:

Impersonal information Personal demonstration Interpersonal field agents

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Tactic Components

There are 5 components for each tactic, namely:

Relative costs Relative coverage Relative impact User convenience Feedback

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Tactics and their potential effects

IMPERSONAL Information R

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Direct Mail L H L H H

Installing or replacing visible, low-risk, familiar innovations

Complex Innovations

Low price, ease of ordering, guarantee, bonus, etc

Mass Media L H L M L Awareness, arousalComplex, high-cost innovations

Stimulus to act on information (limited time, special introductory offer, etc)

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Tactics and their potential effects continued…

IMPERSONAL Information R

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Printed Matter L M L H L Awareness, interest

Complex innovations requiring hands-on trail

Stimulus to act on information

Professional Association

L M M M MAwareness of innovations, data on trials

Mass-market adoptions

Professional membership status, interaction with peers, prepaid travel to meetings

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Tactics and their potential effects continued…PERSONAL DEMONSTRATION

On-Site M L M H H Trial of high-riskinnovations in largeLEAs

Low-risk routineadoptions

Released timefor observationtestimonials

Visitation H M M L M Demonstration ofcomplex, high-riskinnovations

Low-cost, routineadoptions

Released time,prepaid travelmaterials totake home,testimonials

Workshop M L L M M Hands-on trial Persuasion ofuniversitypersonnel

Freeregistration,credit,materials totake home,snacks

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Tactics and their potential effects continued…INTERPERSONAL FIELD AGENTS

Non-Commercial

H M M H H Implementinghigh-risk,unfamiliar,complex training ororganizationalinnovations

Mass-marketadoptions

Freeconsultation,technicalassistance,targetedinformationretrievalsystem, etc.

Commercial H H H H H Installing high-markup, low-risk,consumableinnovations

Low-markup,complexinnovations

Free samples,entertainment,volumediscounts,special deals,etc.

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To take an example, consider the following:

Impersonal information e.g. direct mail to schools

Relative costsRelative coverageRelative impactUser convenienceFeedback

LowHighLowModerateLow

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Do your own summaries for each of the following tactics, making sure you rate each of the five components each time as high, medium and low

Impersonal – Direct Mail; Mass Media; Printed Matter; Professional Association

Personal Demonstration – On-site; Visitation; Workshop

Interpersonal field agents – Non-commercial; commercial