Why is teacher change so hard in educational reforms?

Abstract

Education reforms that aim to improve student learning usually employ strategies designed to promote teacher change. Despite sustained effort and investment in strategies for teacher change, it seems that educational reforms have had a limited impact on teachers and their pedagogical practices. One possible explanation is that these reforms base their strategies on a limited understanding of the process of teacher change. This theoretical essay contributes to clarifying the process of teacher change based on the analysis of six interconnected dimensions, thus proposing a comprehensive understanding of teacher change.Education reforms that aim to improve student learning usually employ strategies designed to promote teacher change. Despite sustained effort and investment in strategies for teacher change, it seems that educational reforms have had a limited impact on teachers and their pedagogical practices. One possible explanation is that these reforms base their strategies on a limited understanding of the process of teacher change. This theoretical essay clarifies the process of teacher change by analyzing six interconnected dimensions, thus proposing a comprehensive understanding of teacher change