A STUDY OF TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD CHANGE: SEPARATING NEGATIVITY FROM RESISTANCE

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of teachers toward change. When attempts to change fail because they are ineffective, unattainable, or ceremonial, those held accountable for implementing the change can develop negative attitudes toward leadership directing the change or the change itself. However, the presences of negative feelings or cynicism for change, does not mean teachers are resistant to change, a concept that has been conflated by those seeking to explain why reforms in education are repeatedly unsuccessful. Teachers responded to survey questions about change in general and participated in structured interview. Interviews elicited responses relevant to the study’s research questions. The research questions were: 1. How does change viewed by teachers as being unattainable, unfeasible or ceremonial affect their attitudes toward change? 2. How do teachers’ negative attitudes toward change generate cynicism or resistance to change? 3. How are teachers’ negative attitudes impacted by the removal of barriers effecting attainability or feasibility of change? Responses were used to determine if teachers viewing the principle for change as genuine and potential barriers removed, would negativity toward change possibly change; thus, uncoupling negative attitudes toward change from resistance to change. Findings of this study found teachers attitudes toward change to be more positive and welcoming of change than expected. Negativity or cynicism toward change occurred when teachers believe change was ceremonial, transitionary or was not student centered. It was determined the presence of negative feelings or cynicism toward change resistance to change was absent. This finding is contrary to the belief that negative feelings or cynicism toward change means there is resistance to change. This vision has been held by those looking to explain why educational reforms fails. Future research might investigate the effect of removing barriers often present in educational research. Also worthy of exploration is the possibility of a school districts effecting change using both top-down and bottom-up organizational models.