Brain-compatible instruction: A case study in district-wide staff development

This case study focuses on an educational innovation known as brain-compatible instruction and a related district-wide staff development training initiative. The primary areas of research included the relevance and usefulness of brain-compatible instruction to practitioners, staff development training involving campus principals as trainers, the individual change process, and innovation implementation at the level of the classroom.;The study was guided by four research questions: (1) How did teacher concerns regarding the innovation change over time? (2) What impact did serving as trainers for the district-wide initiative have on principals? What are their perceptions of brain-compatible instruction? How do they support teachers and promote acceptance of the innovation? (3) What effects did the brain research training have on teachers' perceptions of brain-compatible instruction and their receptivity to change? (4) How did teachers' change in stages of concern about the brain-compatible instruction, the involvement of campus principals as staff developers, and teachers' receptivity to change influence adoption of brain-compatible teaching strategies?;This exploratory case study makes use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. All instructional staff in the school district served as respondents for two administrations of the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (pre/post); eight elementary campus principals who served as staff development trainers were interviewed; focus groups interviews were conducted on six of the eight elementary campuses with selected teachers; and observations were conducted in classrooms of identified teachers on those six campuses.;Generally, the findings indicate that selected elementary teachers and their principal/trainers in this particular district strongly support the notion that brain research has the potential to impact education in a significant and useful way. Also, brain-compatible instruction was perceived to be worthy of a district-wide training initiative by most participants. The innovation is viewed by participants as highly relevant to their world and work. The evidence suggests that elementary teachers' beliefs and practices related to teaching and learning can be altered by effective training and continued support and commitment from knowledgeable principals.