Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership - Change in Response to Realities
Abstract
"At several points toward the conclusion of Phase I and during Phase II, the Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership (GBMP) had to re-evaluate its implementation strategy in the light of observational data on implementation of inquired-based learning (IBL) by teachers in the classroom. Without this observational data, self-evaluation by teachers of the extent of their implementing IBL methods would have been misleading. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) were introduced at the end of Phase I, and formed a significant part of the intervention in Phase II, based upon observed and reported difficulties with teachers implementing. Again, based upon observation of PLCs and classroom implementation, PLC meetings were more highly structured and a modest amount of classroom coaching was introduced. There were measurable changes in teacher behavior, but not at the level predicted. The GBMP Theory of Action was confirmed as a set of necessary conditions for changing teacher behavior, but not as a set of sufficient conditions."
