Teachers' engagement in change of practice : influencing teachers' engagement in changing professional practice : application of the transtheoretical model of change

This conceptual chapter explores engagement in professional learning experiences as a contributing factor to teachers' change of professional practice. Specific focus is on those teachers who do not easily adapt to the changing milieu of their profession. Following a critique of traditional approaches to professional development programs, the chapter develops the proposition that an improved under-standing of psychological factors that influence intentional change at the individual level will enhance the study of how teachers change professional practice. It suggests that such an improved under-standing can be provided by the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), a prominent model developed in the health sciences but subsequently found to be effective in other fields. TTM's efficacy derives from its capacity to align particular types of interventions with an individual's level of motivational readiness to change. The chapter recommends that research be undertaken to explore the efficacy of applying TTM to understand and enhance teachers' engagement in professional learning and change of practice.