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Mapping social studies teachers' implementation behaviour on an innovation configuration
Citation
Singapore Journal of Education, 10(1), 43-54
Abstract
Many large-scale studies (Berman and
McLaughlin 1975; Emrick and Peterson,
1978) and reviews (Fullan and Pomfret,
,1977) have indicated the need for curriculum
developers to pay more attention to
the process of implementing new curriculum
materials. This study draws upon the tools of
the Concerns-based Adoption Model developed
by Hall and Loucks to gather information
about teacher implementation behaviour
in relation to the Curriculum Development
Institute of Singapore (CDIS) Social
Studies curriculum package. The Innovation
Configurations checklist and an openended
teacher-concerns questionnaire were
ad~qinistered to 725 teachers from 70 primary schools .during two survey periods,
March to May 1986 and July to September
1986. Analysis of the data provided understanding
of teachers' actual use of the various
components of the curriculum and their
main concerns. Unacceptable and weak
teacher practices were revealed in the fieldtrips,
project work, testing and the teaching
of concepts components of the curriculum
package. In addition, teachers seemed more
concerned about the content area of Social
Studies rather than the skills which the
curriculum package advocated. The data
forms a basis for the development of
more effective implementation-facilitating
activities.
Date Issued
1989