Research Findings

Teachers with a solid grasp of instructional strategies related to the reform were able to make adjustments over time, or rely on their social networks to support them through these changes.

The authors identified several conditions of peer relations that either supported or reduced teachers’ use of reform-based practices. Teachers who participated in networks characterized by strong ties, expertise, and high-depth interactions were able to sustain practices despite challenging circumstances or school-wide change. Teachers who were missing critical supports were not able to achieve a high level of sustainability.

The authors named these patterns as follows, arranged from most to least supportive of sustaining reform. (See Research Focus section for explanation of strength, depth, and expertise.):

• Synergy: High depth, high expertise, and strong ties in the same year
• Adding Depth Over Time: High expertise and strong ties in Year 1 followed by high depth in Year 2
• Missing Pieces: Absence of strong ties in Year 1 and absence of expertise in Year 2
• Scratching the Surface: Absence of depth in Years 1 and 2

No one aspect of interaction led to sustainability. Rather, what matters is the combination of strong interactions (frequency and social relationship strength), expertise among those involved in the interactions, and high depth interactions. This study further shows that teachers may not need strong networks for extended periods of time, but do seem to need it the first year or two following the reduction of PD or other supports.

Implications for Practice

For teachers, it is important to foster or support existing social networks that exhibit strong ties, expertise, and depth, especially after other supports for a new initiative have been reduced. While these networks do not necessarily need to be maintained for an extended amount of time, they are is important to help teachers grapple with substantive issues with one another when they are trying out relatively new instructional practices.

Attending To Equity

It is important to foster strong social networks for teachers, within and across schools, to help them make and sustain instructional changes. If teachers are provided with the necessary social supports, then higher quality reform-based practices are more likely to be sustained. This, in turn, helps teachers provide all students with continuous, high-quality learning experiences.

Questions For Reflection

• For teachers and school leaders: In what ways have you worked with colleagues to integrate new pedagogical strategies or curriculum materials into your classroom practice? What are more and less successful ways of collaborating to support professional growth and community?
• The authors of the paper emphasize the importance of regular collaboration between teachers, with a focus on the core content and issues of teaching. How can these professional ties be purposefully supported?
• What access to expertise (for example, a teacher who’s experienced and skilled in new strategies or tasks being implemented) do teachers and school staff have? How can schools find ways to make good use of the teacher expertise already present in the school, and seek outside expertise when needed?

Related Briefs

• Bevan, B. (2011). Reconceptualizing “PD” as continuous professional learning: A research brief discussing Webster-Wright’s, “Reframing professional development through understanding authentic professional learning.”
• King, H. (2013). Current trends in science teacher professional development. An ISE research brief discussing van Driel et al., “Current trends and missing links in studies on teacher professional development in science education.”

Related Research

• Coburn, C. E., Mata, W. & Choi, L. (2013). The embeddedness of teachers’ social networks: Evidence from mathematics reform. Sociology of Education, 86(4), 311- 342.
• Coburn, C. E. & Russell, J. L. (2008). District policy and teachers’ social networks. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 30(3), 203-235.
• Hopkins, M., Spillane, J. P., Jakopovic, P., & Heaton, R. M. (2013). Infrastructure redesign and instructional reform in mathematics: Formal structure and teacher leadership. The Elementary School Journal, 114(2), 200-224.
• Spillane, J. P., & Hopkins, M. (2013). Organizing for instruction in education systems and organizations: How the school subject matters. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(6), 721-747.

References

• Cooper, Robert, Robert E. Slavin, and Nancy A. Madden. 1998. “Success for All: Improving the Quality of Implementation of Whole-School Change through the Use of a National Reform Network.” Education and Urban Society, 30(3), 385–408.
• Gersten, Russell, David Chard, and Scott Baker. 2000. “Factors Enhancing Sustained Use of Research-Based Instructional Practices.” Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33(5), 445–56.
• Klingner, Janette K., Sharon Vaughn, Marie Tejero Hughes, and Maria Elena Arguelles. 1999. “Sustaining Research-Based Practices in Reading: A 3-Year Follow-Up.” Remedial and Special Education, 20(5), 263–74, 287.
• McLaughlin, Milbrey W., and Dana Mitra. 2001. “Theory-Based Change and Change- Based Theory: Going Deeper and Going Broader.” Journal of Educational Change, 2(4), 301–23.