How Can We Get Teachers to Use Reference Resources? CBAM and Online Encyclopedias

Introduction to CBAM and it’s uses

The goal this year at Ecole KLO Middle School is to increase student agency through the use of inquiry-based learning. One essential aspect of inquiry-based learning is the application of research skills, which include information and critical literacy. Doing so specifically with respect to effective use of reference resources meets the first and fourths standards of practice for an effective school library learning commons (SLLC), which state teacher-librarians are to “facilitat[e] collaborative engagement to cultivate and empower a community of learners [and] foster literacies to empower life-long learners” (Leading Learning Framework – Leading Learning, 2014, p.8).


When working with teachers to evolve their practice it is important to remember it is a process, not an event (Loucks-Horsley, 1996). Teachers need time and space to express their concerns about changes over the course of the change process, which generally takes place over a few years. This dimension in the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is referred to as the stages of concern (see figure 1). Another related dimension, the levels of use (see figure 2) may seem similar, however the former is concerned with the perceptions, feelings, and attitudes towards the change, and the latter is interested in how people behave as they undergo a change and how they act in regards to the innovation (Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) - Central Rivers AEA, 2021).


                  

(Figure 1: Stages of Concern (SoC) Graph, 2016)     (Figure 2: Levels of Use (LoU) Graph, 2016) 

For the purpose of this report, I will discuss two colleagues who are at opposite ends of the change model. The ultimate goal is to move these teachers into the refocusing and renewal stages in regards to the use of reference materials over the course of the next three years. However, for this report the teachers and I have set interim goals that can be reached more rapidly. The plans to help them reach those goals are based on the concept of the “bridge” as seen in figure 3. This model explains what is necessary to move people from the lower stages of concerns and levels of use: training, support, and non-judgmental mentorship. The overarching goal is to have them use BritannicaSCHOOL  as a stepping stone to get them to use reference resources regularly in their practice.


Case A: “Dolly”

Background

Dolly is a highly experienced, highly motivated teacher. She has been teaching for nearly 30 years and has excellent rapport with students and colleagues alike. Her courses include FRAL 8 and 9 and she is the curricular leader for the French immersion department. Dolly has often said that she knows she is behind in her ability to teach inquiry-based lessons with student agency in the forefront. Dolly actively avoids new technology and often asks for help to implement any new innovations into her classes.


Current Levels

In the CBAM, this teacher is in the “personal” stage of concern. She is aware of the work we are doing in our school and district, but is still unaware of how she can become a part of the change. She expresses that she lacks the ability to do this work on her own, and feels empowered when working with colleagues. Our short-term goal for Dolly is to bring her to the consequence stage where she is able to focus on the difference online reference resources make for her students. Regarding levels of use, Dolly is in the orientation level. She is participating in discussions with me, the teacher-librarian, as well as other trusted colleagues about the changes we are making regarding student agency. Our short-term goal is to bring her to the mechanical use stage where she is focused on using reference materials on a day to day basis to help her students with research.


Plan for Intervention

The goal is to have Dolly feel comfortable using BritannicaSCHOOL as an online reference resource. Because we have a positive relationship built on mutual respect and trust, I will act as her mentor. 

  1. We will co-plan a guided inquiry to begin her journey into using electronic encyclopedias as reference materials for her students

  2. I will create “lunch and learns” specifically about the use of BritannicaSCHOOL as it is new to our SLLC

    1. Colleagues who are new to this, as well as colleagues who are familiar with online encyclopedias will become allies to Dolly in this process

  3. Dolly learns best from written materials and notes, so I will provide her with a user’s manual that is created to meet her specific needs in her inquiry-based classroom

  4. I will also create mini-user manuals for her students to alleviate some of the stress that comes with new technology for this teacher

  5. We will co-teach with this resource in her classroom

  6. We will use Google Forms to assess how the students feel about the relevance and ease of this material.


Case B - Jeanne

Background

Jeanne is well recognized as one of the strongest teachers in our building. She is currently the humanities teacher in a community of grade 8 students with a STEM teaching partner. She has been teaching for 15 years and is often the catalyst for change through district initiatives. Jeanne presents at conferences and is well known in the province for her innovative work in student agency and assessment. I chose to work with Jeanne because it is not just the new teachers or those resistant to change who can evolve their practice. Jeanne can evolve her practice by implementing the use of reference materials, something she has been reluctant to do in the past.


Current Levels

In the In the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, Jeanne is currently in the refocusing stage. She clearly sees the impact of student agency on the ability for her students to learn and grow. She understands the importance of inquiry-based learning and why it is necessary in the age of information and the future job prospects for her students. Further, she is consistently making changes to achieve better outcomes for her students (Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) - Central Rivers AEA, 2021). Regarding her levels of use, however, she is a non-user of reference resources as she never uses the resources available to her, preferring to allow her students to do open research online. Our short-term goal is to move her to the integration level where she is including BritannicaSCHOOL into her practice to better help students achieve their personal goals. 


Plan for Intervention

Jeanne and I have been working together for 10 years and I know Jeanne learns best through exploration and questioning, and is always looking for things that make it easier for her students to dig deep into their own personal interests. She has had negative experiences with teacher-librarians in the past and therefore has chosen not to engage in using reference resources, however, she is expressing that it is tiring to have to make pathfinders for all 120 students. Our plan is to:

  1. Meet with Jeanne and her teaching partner to explore the resource

  2. Show Jeanne the benefits of this resource to students at every level as she is cognizant of different learners

  3. Demonstrate how the resources lessens the need for pathfinders, and discuss other resources that do the same, such as Kiddle, Kids Discover, and Ducksters

  4. Co-teach a new inquiry using this resource, and others as needed

  5. Invite students to demonstrate new learning on the resource(s) as Jeanne loves to learn from her students

  6. Have a socratic discussion about the resource(s) following use so Jeanne can hear from her students




Conclusion:

Teachers don’t know what they don’t know, so I am proceeding with caution: it may be that I will learn of a need that they are unaware of (Loucks-Horsely, 1996). However, I do know each of these teachers quite well and I am confident that if I meet them where they are at, and help them learn in their preferred way, they will adopt the use of reference resources and be stronger teachers because of it. Because this is a process, the interventions must continue for years in order to get their teachers where they need to be. My ability to release teachers to work with me, as well as my personal connections with both of them are an asset to these scenarios. Using CBAM will allow teachers to voice their concerns, move at their own pace, and eventually do what is best for students by incorporating all types of reference resources into their pedagogical practices.



References:

Britannica Education. (2016). NEW 2021 Britannica School Overview [Video]. Vimeo. Retrieved February 25, 2023, from https://vimeo.com/153260204

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) - Central Rivers AEA. (2021, January 14). Central Rivers AEA. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.centralriversaea.org/curriculum/assessment/concerns-based-adoption-model-cbam/

Ducksters. (2023). Ducksters. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.ducksters.com/

Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. (2023). Britannica School. Britannica Digital Learning. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://school.eb.com/?target=%2Flevels

Home | Kids Discover Online. (2023). Kids Discover. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://online.kidsdiscover.com/home

Kiddle - visual search engine for kids. (2023). Kiddle. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.kiddle.co/

Leading Learning Framework – Leading Learning. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/leading-learning-framework/

Levels of Use (LoU) Graph. (2016). Central Rivers Area Education Agency. https://centralriversaea.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/E2_PDF-of-the-LoU-Graph-Revised-5.9.17.pdf

Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals [Online PDF]. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf

OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030. (2019). Conceptual Learning Framework: Student Agency for 2030. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/student-agency/Student_Agency_for_2030_concept_note.pdf

Stages of Concern (SoC) Graph. (2016, August 18). Central Rivers Area Education Agency. https://centralriversaea.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/D2_soc_graph-Revised-5.9.17.pdf

Stages of Concern │Concerns-Based Adoption Model. (2010, December 8). American Institutes for Research. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.air.org/resource/stages-concern-concerns-based-adoption-model



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