The Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) is beginning a major transition from its traditional classroom training methods to technology-based education and training. Conventional classroom courses will be rewritten and restructured to a computer-based format and be delivered on-line. According to the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, the faculty will experience concerns during the process of adopting this innovation. Identification of these concerns can assist in selecting appropriate interventions to minimize problems and to ease the adoption process. This study had two purposes. The first was to identify the Stages of Concern of the DSMC faculty toward the use of technology-based education and training by measuring faculty responses to the Stages of Concern (SoC) Questionnaire. The second was to determine appropriate interventions to assist the faculty through the change process. The study accomplished both purposes. All teaching faculty (N=135) received the questionnaire about their concerns and issues with this innovation, and 126 responses were returned (93% response rate). A total of eighty-one respondents (64%) reported no experience with technology-based courses, and the composite faculty SoC profile correspondingly reflected the "nonuser" category. No significant differences in Stages of Concern were found between groups of faculty when divided by common demographic criteria such as years of teaching experience, civilian or military status, and experience with educational technology. Quantitative methods of analysis included SoC profile comparison, High Stage Score and Second High Stage Score analysis, analysis-of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Qualitative methods were also used to analyze responses to an open-ended question on the survey instrument. Results reflected a general lack of knowledge and awareness about the innovation from the faculty and strong personal concerns about what impact it will have on them. The faculty clearly displayed a negative attitude toward this innovation and seemed unconvinced that it was the optimal solution. Written responses to the open-ended question provided key insight into faculty attitudes. The majority of concerns identified were educational issues, particularly dealing with the effectiveness of a computer-based format when teaching highly-interactive management courses. Based on these results, recommended intervention strategies for DSMC were generated. These strategies focus on the need for better information dissemination about educational technology and for a realistic implementation plan. More importantly, interventions were recommended to provide incentives for faculty to increase proficiency with educational technology and the use of technology in their courses. / Ed. D.

As 4/4 block scheduling was implemented in North Carolina, many public schools offered staff development to help teachers make the transition from a six- or seven- period school schedule, but little is known about the staff development provided. The purposes of this study were to determine the Stages of Concern of North Carolina public school teachers related to 4/4 block scheduling, their perceived professional development needs, and the relationships among their Stages of Concern, professional development needs, and selected characteristics. By calling each school district's central office, the researcher determined that 248 North Carolina high schools had implemented 4/4 block scheduling as of fall 1998. A list was developed of 73 schools that implemented block scheduling in the fall of 1996, 1997, and 1998. From this list, five schools were randomly selected for each of the three years, resulting in a sample of 15 schools. At each school, five teachers were selected from each of three teaching areas: academic, workforce development, and special subjects. Thus, of the1086 teachers employed at the 15 participating schools, 225 teachers were included in the sample. The questionnaire for this study contained three parts: (a) the Hall and Loucks (1979) Stages of Concern questionnaire, (b) a professional development needs section, and (c) a teacher characteristics section. Results of the study indicated that the teachers were concerned about the success of students in the classroom and the impact of 4/4 block scheduling on their students. Consequence was the peak Stage of Concern for the largest percentage of responders, and collaboration was the peak for the second-largest percentage. Teachers with less experience had higher informational concerns than their peers with more teaching experience. On four of the nine professional development needs, more recent adopters of 4/4 block scheduling indicated significantly less need for professional development than those whose schools adopted this schedule in previous years. Thus, as teachers became more experienced with 4/4 block scheduling, they may have had problems that were unforeseen when this schedule was initially adopted. Implications for practice and further research based on the results of the study were suggested. / Ph. D.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is changing from traditional training methods to satellite delivery systems. According to the Stages of Concern about the Innovation (SoC), one dimension of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), individuals experience concerns during the process of adopting an innovation. Research supports that identification of concerns and appropriate interventions facilitate innovation adoption. However, little research has been published with respect to use of SoC other than in education since the conceptualization of CBAM in 1973. The purposes of this study were : 1) identify the Stages of Concern of the civilian managers employed in the five DFAS Centers toward satellite education and training with the use of the SoC Questionnaire (SoCQ) and the Open-Ended Statement of Concern About an Innovation; 2) explore the utility of the SoC to this population; and 3) draw implications from the expressed concerns of the managers to determine appropriate interventions to assist the managers through the change process. The purposes were accomplished through a census survey with a response rate of 55% (N=370). A modified version of the original SoCQ and the Stages of Concern about the Innovation Open-Ended Statement identified both the managers' SoC and specific concerns. Eighty-four percent (84%) of the respondents reported no experience with satellite education. SoC profiles typified a positive "nonuser" with highest Stages in 0 (Awareness), 1 (Informational), and 2 (Personal). A peaked Stage 5 in each SoC profile suggested "Collaboration" concerns, as would be anticipated from a population of managers. Chi-square showed no association between highest SoC and Center. Pearson r correlations showed no relationship between highest SoC and years of employment in the federal government, the financial management career field, or the number of employees within the managers' scope of responsibilities. Correlational analysis showed a weak relationship, r = .24, between highest SoC and number of courses completed by satellite. SoC group profiles by number of courses completed showed similar "nonuser" patterns. Written comments identified competing concerns between training programs and satellite medium. SoC constructs appeared to be operating throughout the findings which supported previous SoC research. / Ph. D.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of concern of central office instructional administrators, building level principals, and teachers in Superintendents' Region Seven as they implement Virginias' Standards of Learning initiative. The Stages of Concern (SOC) Questionnaire and demographic sheet were mailed to a sample of 405 instructional personnel of Superintendents' Region Seven in Virginia; 231 responded. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance procedures at the a=. 05 level of significance. Results revealed that central office instructional administrators (N=31), elementary principals (N=31), secondary principals (N=32), and elementary (N=33) and secondary teachers (N=33) not responsible for administering SOL Tests possessed profiles indicative of nonusers. The concerns for these groups were typically highest on stages 0, 1, and 2 and lowest on stages 4, 5, and 6. When the data were analyzed for elementary (N=30), and secondary teachers (N=41) responsible for administering SOL Tests, the findings identified these groups as possessing similar concerns. These groups were highest in stages 3, 6, and 2, respectively. A series of ANOVAs and Scheffes' post hoc analyses at the .05 level were conducted to analyze the data according to the group position/user or nonuser in relation to the seven stages of concern. When the participants were grouped according to position/grade level in relation to the seven stages of concern, an analysis of variance and Scheffes' post hoc were conducted to determine if the groups were significantly different at the .05 level. How practitioners feel about and perceive change will in large part determine whether or not change actually occurs in schools. The amount and scope of educational change needed to successfully implement the Standards of Learning is evident. It is believed the results of this study will provide reformers with an assessment of the various perceptions educators in Superintendents' Region Seven have regarding the implementation of the Standards of Learning. The implications and recommendations could aid reformers as they continue to implement the Standards of Learning and as they implement future initiatives. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this mixed-methods, multi-site study was to identify and explore the concerns of teachers and principals implementing a pilot Response to Intervention (RTI) model in three elementary schools in the southeast United States and to determine whether these concerns differed significantly from the beginning to the end of the first year of implementation. The Stages of Concern from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer, 2006; Hord, Rutherford, Huling, & Hall, 2004) served as the theoretical framework for the design and analysis of this study. Between Fall 2008 and Spring 2009, 18 participants, including six administrators and 12 teachers, were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. Observations and documents also served as data sources. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire was completed by 168 teachers and principals in Fall 2008 and Spring 2009. Paired samples t-tests were performed on the data to determine if levels of concern differed significantly over time. Themes developed in the fall suggested: (a) confusion over the RTI process and difficulty scheduling the required components of RTI; (b) additional responsibilities placed on teachers, questioning the appropriateness of the RTI model for schools’ population of students, and delaying the process for referral for special education; (c) role impact on teachers feeling hampered in their duty to refer for special education services; and (d) improved instructional practices as a facilitating factor. Spring themes included: (a) ongoing confusion over the RTI process and scheduling difficulties with additional concerns regarding insufficiency of training and the need for additional resources to sustain RTI implementation; (b) delay of services for struggling students; (c) role impact as teachers being forced to learn new ways of teaching and principals having to lead their staffs through conflict, in addition to guiding and supporting them; and (d) improved outcomes for students as a facilitating factor. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to collect information documenting Utah technology education teachers' acceptance of an emphasis on engineering content in technology education. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) was used to determine the level of acceptance of this change. It was found that a majority of technology and education teachers are more concerned about other unidentified tasks, activities or initiatives than they are about the addition of engineering content to their classes. They were also shown to be concerned with being able to organize, manage, and schedule the change effectively and were found to be least concerned about evaluating student outcomes including performance and competencies. Utah teachers were polarized with respect to collaborating and coordinating with others with regards to engineering.

The purpose of this study was to describe the needs and concerns regarding the Virginia Credentialing Initiative (VCI) of career and technical education (CTE) stakeholders in rural southwestern Virginia. These stakeholders included central office CTE administrators, high school principals, guidance counselors, and high school CTE teachers. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (George, Hall, & Stiegelbauer, 2008) was sent to 355 participants with 260 responding for a return rate of 73%. All of the respondents were employed in Superintendents' Region Seven. There are seven Stages of Concern: 0 Unconcerned, 1 Informational, 2 Personal, 3 Management, 4 Consequence, 5 Collaboration, and 6 Refocusing. Results revealed that when categorized by occupational areas, central office CTE administrators and teachers had primary concerns that ranged from Unconcerned to Personal. Guidance counselors had primary concerns that ranged from Unconcerned to Informational. High school principals had primary concerns that ranged from Unconcerned to Personal. All groups had lowest concern levels at the Consequence and Refocusing stages. Results for each group varied slightly when the number of years of experience was used as a reporting category. The primary level of concern was at the Unconcerned stage for each group when the respondents had 5 or fewer years of experience. CTE teacher groups were also categorized by subject area as those with long-standing licensing history (cosmetology, nursing, welding) and those newer to credentialing (agriculture, business, family and consumer sciences, marketing). The fields of nursing and welding had primary concerns at the Unconcerned level, while those in the agriculture, business, cosmetology, family and consumer sciences, and marketing subject areas peaked at the Personal level. Further research is recommended in relation to CTE stakeholder concerns and the implementation and use of the VCI. The implementation of new state legislation will affect CTE stakeholders as they adapt to the new graduation requirements for students pursuing a standard diploma. It is also recommended that qualitative research be conducted to ascertain specific avenues for addressing stakeholder needs and concerns, such as professional development. / Ed. D.

Previous literature has exposed the impact of concerns and beliefs on a teacher's decision to adopt online teaching methods, and in particular for Graphic Communications teachers, the extent to which their concerns and beliefs influence whether or not they decide to teach online. The potential problem that may exist is that of Graphic Communications teachers' concerns and beliefs are playing a role in impeding their transitioning to teaching in the online environment. The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher concerns and beliefs might be affecting a Graphic Communications teacher's adoption of online teaching. Although there are a multitude of factors that may inhibit Graphic Communications teachers from teaching online, this study sought to document the extent to which teacher concerns and beliefs toward online teaching impact their decision to adopt these practices. This study included a purposeful sample of 79 Graphic Communications educators across the United States and Canada. Data collected from the Graphic Communications Teachers Beliefs Towards Teaching Online (GCTBTTO) survey were analyzed using the Stages of Concern scoring device, simple means, and sample correlation coefficients to examine participant concerns and beliefs towards online teaching and the relationship between their concerns and beliefs. A theme analysis of open-ended responses about teaching online provided further assessment of participant beliefs and concerns towards the innovation. Findings from this study revealed Graphic Communications teachers who had taught online had higher levels of external concerns and stronger beliefs towards teaching online. Graphic Communications teachers who had not taught online had higher levels of internal concerns and average beliefs towards teaching online. T-tests revealed the difference in concerns between the sub-groups of teachers was significant across all stages except Management, where online and non-online teachers had similar management concerns about online teaching. For online teachers, task value and cost beliefs were found to have a moderately strong negative correlation to concerns in the Awareness stage, with no significant relationship between expectancy/ability beliefs and any stages of concern. For teachers not teaching online, task value and cost beliefs had a strong positive correlation with their Collaboration concerns, and expectancy/ability beliefs were strongly positively related to their Refocusing concerns. These findings also revealed that most Graphic Communications teachers do not believe hands-on courses which require manipulation of machinery can be taught online, although online teachers are teaching these types of classes with hybrid methods of instruction. The findings from this study provide implications for change facilitators and their consideration of faculty concerns and beliefs. The recommendations for this study suggest ways in which researchers, educators, and change facilitators can address concerns and beliefs in order to develop new innovative teaching methods for hands-on classes. / Ed. D.

The aim of this study is to understand the present situation of language domain teachers¡¦ stages of concern and layers of adoption about integrating information technology into instruction after carrying out 1st ¡V 9st grades curriculum Alignment in junior high school in Kaohsiung City. In the meanwhile investigating the relationship between stages of concern and layers of adoption, different backgrounds of teachers, school factors, willing of teacher about integrating information technology into instruction. Exploring the perspectives of teacher, obstructive factors and what kind of the motive factors that can improve teachers¡¦ stages of concern and layers of adoption about integrating information technology into instruction technology into instruction. ¡§Integrating information technology into instruction stages of concern scale¡¨, and¡¨ integrating information technology into instruction layers of adoption scale¡¨ are adopted as the instruments of analysis in this study. The major findings of this study are followed: 1.The personal stages of concern is the most strongest stages of concern when teacher face to the integrating information technology into instruction. Consequence stages of concern is the second strongest stages of concern. Preparation and orientation layers of adoption is the most proportion layers of teacher¡¦s layers of adoption. 2.There are significant differences language domain teachers¡¦ stages of concern about integrating information technology into instruction in junior high school with the term of the age of teacher, the seniority of teacher, school have had the experience of integrating information technology into instruction seminar, whether computer in classroom or not, at what time computer become the necessary tool, the willing of using the new teaching method, the willing of co-operated policy or the regulation of carry out the integrating information technology into instruction activities of an administrative of school, the academic degrees, time of using computer, 3.There are significant differences and relationship between teacher¡¦s stages of concern and layers of adoption about integrating information technology into instruction in junior high school in Kaohsiung City. 4.The encouraging factors of stages of concern and layers of adoption about integrating information technology into instruction were not influenced by background of language domain teacher in junior high school in Kaohsiung City. And the contents of perspectives of teacher are similar to encouraging factors, obstructive factors, and the starting point motive of teacher about integrating information technology into instruction. The most main mixed factors including: (1)sufficient hardware and software facilities resource, and convenient of using (2)the willing, motive, improving interest of study of student (3)policy and administration (4)the challenge of job itself(5) the growth of individual and disciplines (6)cooperation of colleague, assistance, and share motive factors (7)teacher short of time to prepare etc¡K.Those factors mention above are all included in the content of perspectives of teacher. Therefore the content of perspectives of measured teacher can be the evidence reference of encouraging factors, obstructive factors, and the starting point motive of teacher about integrating information technology into instruction, including quantitative analysis.