Raising Activity Levels: A Multidimensional Analysis of Curriculum Change

Using Fullan's (1982) The Meaning of Educational Change (Toronto, OISE Press) multidimensional framework, this paper discusses the problems of curriculum change by examining the subjective experiences of physical education teachers. The discussion was based on interviews with teachers who were involved in a study to change health behaviors of high school students. Although no discernable changes in behavior were observed, the explanations for the results, as reported by the teachers, have provided insights of greater importance. Two physical education classes consisting of boys and girls aged between 11 and 13 years from 20 secondary schools were selected for pre-test and post-test measurements. The data collected included a survey, direct observation, heart rate monitoring and motion sensoring. A teacher-designed modification of the physical education curriculum was used as an intervention as it was specifically aimed at increasing activity. A debriefing of teachers in the experimental group indicated that they considered the teacher-designed lesson guide to be valuable. However, when the teachers were faced with implementing change in their physical classes, they (like the researchers) underestimated the situational and personal-social factors that prevented untested ideas from being transformed into firm beliefs and values. The findings confirmed the predictions of a multidimensional model of educational change, which indicated that, when challenged, technological and material innovations are more easily changed than attitudes, beliefs and values held by teachers.