Integrated Thematic Instruction - A Descriptive Case Study Of Its.pdf

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1991

Integrated Thematic Instruction : A Descriptive Case Study of its

Adaptation and Implementation

Premalatha Gaikwad

Andrews University

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Gaikwad, Premalatha, "Integrated Thematic Instruction : A Descriptive Case Study of its Adaptation and

Implementation" (1991). Dissertations. 384.

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Order Number 9225975

Integrated T hem atic Instruction: A descriptive case study of its

adaptation and im plem entation

Gaikwad, Premalatha, Ph.D .

Andrews University, 1992

C o p yrigh t © 1 9 9 1 b y G aikw ad , P re m a la th a . A ll rig h ts reserved.

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Andrews University

School of Education

INTEGRATED THEMATIC INSTRUCTION: A DESCRIPTIVE

CASE STUDY OF ITS ADAPTATION AND

IMPLEMENTATION

A Dissertation

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

by

Premalatha Gaikwad

December 1991

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Copyright by Premalatha Gaikwad 1991

®A11 Rights Reserved

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INTEGRATED THEMATIC INSTRUCTION: A DESCRIPTIVE

CASE STUDY OF ITS ADAPTATION AND

IMPLEMENTATION

A dissertation

presented in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree

Doctor of Philosophy

by

Premalatha Gaikwad

APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:

Chair: William H. Green

Member: Paul S. BrantL^y

Direct^ Graduate Program

Member: CDouglas ($c. Jones

^ yd*—

-y K -1

ternal: Ella L. Simmons

Dean, School of Education

Date Approved

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ABSTRACT

INTEGRATED THEMATIC INSTRUCTION: A DESCRIPTIVE

CASE STUDY OF ITS ADAPTATION AND

IMPLEMENTATION

by

Premalatha Gaikwad

Chair: William H. Green

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ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH

Dissertation

Andrews University

School of Education

Title: INTEGRATED THEMATIC INSTRUCTION: A DESCRIPTIVE CASE

STUDY OF ITS ADAPTATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

Name of researcher: Premalatha Gaikwad

Name and degree of faculty chair: William H. Green, Ph.D.

Date completed: December 1991

The purpose of the study was to describe the

operational form of the innovation— Integrated Thematic

Instruction within the context of its implementation.

An embedded single case study design was used to carry

out this gualitative study, with Integrated Thematic

Instruction (ITI) as the unit of the case study. The

questions that guided the study were: What does ITI look

like when implemented by the teacher? What are the

contextual elements of implementation of this program? What

variations are found in the implementation of this

innovation by different teachers?

A review of related literature revealed the historical,

philosophical, and theoretical underpinnings of ITI.

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Several innovative educational practices were compared with

ITI and parallels were drawn between them and ITI.

Since this was the first descriptive research study of

ITI, an Innovation Configuration of the program was

developed. Interviews of the program developer, local

program coordinators, as well as users (teachers), and

observation of classroom implementation of ITI, helped in

delineating its critical components; the ideal, acceptable,

and unacceptable variations of its components were

identified. The implementation context of ITI and the

variations in teacher use of the components of the program

were also studied.

The case study was conducted at two different schools

using ITI. The description of its context included school

demography, the support systems, students, and selected

psychological characteristics of the teachers.

Implementation of the program is described first in general,

and then in detail, focusing on its use by two teachers at

each school.

A brief analysis was made of the use of ITI at the two

different sites. Several implications derived out of the

study; these include those for further research, for staff

developers and change facilitators, for principals, and for

teachers using or intending to use ITI.

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DEDICATION

To my parents,

Pr. Stanley Hutton and Mrs. Jane Beatrice Hutton,

whose encouragement and prayers

helped me through it all

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF F I G U R E S ................................ xi

LIST OF TABLES ................................ xii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................. xiii

Chapter

1. INTRODUCTION .............................. 1

Background of the Problem ............... 1

Instructional Practices and Student

Learning .............................. 1

Educational Programs that Make a

Difference ............................ 4

Blunting of Change ................... 6

A Solution ............................ 7

The Study of an I n n o v a t i o n............... 8

The Setting of the S t u d y ............. 9

Summary of the Background of the

Problem .............................. 10

Statement of the Problem ............... 11

Purpose of the Study ................... 11

Research Questions ...................... 12

Rationale for the S t u d y ................. 13

2. REVIEW OF RELATED L I T E R A T U R E............. 17

Introduction .............................. 17

Definitions of Change, Innovation, and

implementation ...................... 17

Change in E d u c a t i o n ...................... 19

Types of C h a n g e ........................ 19

Characteristics of Effective Innovations . 22

Nature of Implementation ................. 2 4

Concerns-Based Adoption Model............. 2 6

Assumptions of CBAM ................. 27

Studies of Dissemination Efforts

Supporting School Improvement ......... 29

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3. METHOuOLiOGY ................................................................................... 31

Introduction ............................ 31

Qualitative Research ................... 32

History of Qualitative Research

in E d u c a t i o n........................ 3 2

The Assumptions of Qualitative

Research .......................... 35

Characteristics of Qualitative

R e s e a r c h............................ 36

Qualitative Case Study ................... 38

D efinitions............................ 38

Advantages and Disadvantages ......... 3 9

Case Studies of Elementary School

Curriculum ........................ 4 0

The Research Setting ...................... 42

The Research D e s i g n ...................... 42

Choosing the Audience and the Report

Format ............................ 44

Getting Started ...................... 45

Techniques for Data Collection ......... 47

Using Multiple Sources of Evidence . . 47

Direct Observation ............... 48

I n t e r v i e w .......................... 49

Growth States Interviews .... 51

Measures/Questionnaires ........... 53

Gregorc Style Delineator .... 54

Paragraph Completion Method . . . 55

E f f i c a c y ........................ 57

Archival Records ................... 58

Leaving the Field ................... 58

Validity and Reliability in Case Study . . 59

Internal Validity ................... 59

Reliability .......................... 60

External Validity ................... 61

Techniques of Data A n a l y s i s ............. 62

Content Analysis ...................... 63

Peer Support G r o u p ................... 65

Member-Checking ...................... 65

Role of the R e s e a r c h e r ............... 65

S u m m a r y ................................... 67

4. HISTORICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND THEORETICAL

BACKGROUND OF INTEGRATED THEMATIC

I N S T R U C T I O N .............................. 68

Introduction .............................. 68

Historical Background ...................... 69

John Dewey and the Experiential

L e a r n i n g ............................ 69

William Kilpatrick and the Project

Method ............................ 71

iv

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