Giving Compass' Take:

• As this Christensen Institute post explores, many bold and promising ideas to transform schools falter when leaders rely on conventional wisdom rather than seek out innovation.

• Among the common misconceptions are that age and personality types will signal who the early adopters are for new teaching practices, but we must learn that all educators are eager to try something out if it can solve a problem.

• Here's how learning new management systems could improve the way our children learn.

Misconceptions are dangerous things. They shackle our visions of what’s possible and doom us to consequences we do not expect. For example, a student who believes her genes predetermine her academic abilities may avoid crucial learning experiences that are initially challenging. A student who believes his post graduation success will flow from his intellectual prowess may gasp when he loses his first job due to interpersonal ineptitude.

Recently, my colleagues and I released a research paper that unveils common misconceptions about change management in schools. Given that many school initiatives falter for lack of teacher buy-in, we set out to uncover what actually causes teachers to change their practices. Using research methods based on the Jobs to Be Done Theory — an approach for identifying the causes driving demand for new products, services, and solutions — we asked teachers about the specific circumstances and events that led them to adopt new instructional practices.

  • Misconception 1: Student-centered practices appeal intrinsically to most teachers
  • Misconception 2: Early adopters are the key to building buy-in
  • Misconception 3: Beginning-of-year professional development ensures an initiative’s success

Read the full article about misconceptions in school by Thomas Arnett at Christensen Institute