They may feel threatened by new ideas and fear that they will actually be changes for the worse instead of for the better, simply because they are unfamiliar. Another point is that people may have a vested interest in not accepting change. According to Kotter (1996) people like to feel that they are in control of what is happening to them; they want to be the ones steering their own ship; and the more that change is imposed on them, the more they will see it as something to feel threatened about and the more they will resist it.
Unfortunately, simply being aware that these barriers exist is not sufficient to overcome them. It is the responsibility of the leaders of a learning community to gain an understanding of how to turn around resistance to change that is based on fear rather than rationality. This means not just relying on words but on action as well. As Kotter (1996) points out "Communication comes in both words and deeds. The latter is generally the most powerful form. Nothing undermines change more than behavior by important individuals that is inconsistent with the verbal communication" (p. 10).
References
Arlestig, H. (2007) Principals' communication inside schools: a contribution to school improvement? The Educational Forum, 71(3), 262 -- 273.
Felner, R.D., Kasak, D., Mulhall, P., & Flowers, N. (1997). The project on high performance learning communities. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(7), 520-527
Kilpatrick, M.B. & Jones, T. (n.d.) Defining learning communities. Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Australia
Kotter, J. (1996) Leading change. Harvard: Harvard Business School Press
Sybouts, W. (1992) Planning in school administration: A handbook. New York: Greenwood Press.
Businesses are now pushing more so than ever before for schools and educators to adopt a community or learning community based approach to student education, in the hopes students will graduate with more applicable skill sets they can apply to the immediate global workplace. Where did they originate? Learning communities originated from "theory-drive evaluation" research focusing on school reform initiated by education policy specialists (Felner, et al., 1997:520). The idea was
Learning Organization: A New Paradigm in Business Management Any company that is going to make it... (in the 21st century) has got to find a way to engage the mind of every single employee. If you're not thinking all the time about making every person more valuable, you don't have a chance. What's the alternative? Wasted minds? Uninvolved people? A labor force that's angry or bored? That doesn't make sense!" John Welch,
Learning Organization Critically reflect on your organizational context (procurement department) and how it contributes to or hinders a learning organization Enhancing Individual Learning at the Procurement Department Unlike traditional organizations, which were static, organizations are becoming dynamic with the consistent changes that are taking place in the market, and in order to take a competitive advantage constant learning is essential. This has formed the basis for a learning organization, whose idea is to
Adrian Duncan, a night manager at the Y, suggests friendly competitions, such as spelling bees or basketball tournaments, pitting school teams against YMCA teams. The YMCA teams would provide an opportunity for students from different schools and different backgrounds to come together as one. In challenging economic times, organizations that serve youth and work with volunteers can find sustainable funding difficult. LIVA in particular finds it difficult; the YMCA, with
, 1996): To train those college students who aim to join the teaching profession; To provide the teachers with a wide spectrum and grounds for exploration so that they can apply their knowledge and ability in a way that boosts the overall educational standards of the institution and the students; To design a schedule and academic profile that aims to purely heighten the academic and social growth of the students; and to support
This idea of guidance is important; children need the framework and support to expand their ZPD. Since the ZPD defines the skills and abilities that children are in the process of developing, there is also a range of development that we might call a "stretch goal"(Mooney). For Vygotsky, supplying the child with a combination of theoretical and empirical learning methods is a more robust way to ensure cognition. This leads
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now