| The purpose of the study was to discover and describe forces that influence high school teacher implementation of best practice. Within that research purpose, grounded theory was constructed to explain what influences high school teacher implementation of best practice. The research question addressed by the study was: What influences high school teacher implementation of best practice? Best practice was described within the study as instructional methodology that is supported by current research about what facilitates learning, as opposed to instructional practices based on personal experience or outdated research. The questions that guided the research were: (1) What influences how high school teachers teach? (2) What influences high school teacher awareness of best practice? (3) What influences high school teacher implementation of best practice? (4) What are best practices for influencing high school teacher implementation of best practice?;The findings of the study further inform fields of study associated with the professional development of high school teachers. Given the research finding that high school teacher implementation of best practice is influenced by elements of teacher persona, teacher learning, and teaching context, there is both practical and moral need for the proactive cultivation of those critical influences toward positive effect. Educational systems can elect to cultivate professional persona, research-informed learning, and supportive context as means to facilitate high school teacher implementation of best practice.;The qualitative design of the study employed the methods and techniques of constructivist grounded theory. The major finding was that influence on high school teacher implementation of best practice is explained by a dynamic relationship among elements of teacher persona, teacher learning, and teaching context that are malleable by environmental experience. Components of this grounded explanation of the social reality of educational practice are: (1) What influences how teachers teach influences implementation of best practice, (2) Influence on implementation of best practice is multidimensional and dynamic, (3) Influence on implementation of best practice is environmental and malleable, (4) Proactive cultivation of teacher persona, teacher learning, and teaching context is best practice for implementing best practice. |
