Elementary teachers' responses to the adoption of a published writing curriculum

Previous research indicates that the implementation of a new curriculum is affected by several factors, including teachers' orientations toward the role or purpose of curriculum, differences in individual teachers' practices and beliefs, and aspects of the implementation of a published writing program, Being a Writer, in their school district. Data sources included transcripts of interviews with the focal teachers and district administrators, classroom observation field notes of writing instruction, and related documentation including the Being a Writer program. Results indicated that teachers' beliefs about how children learn to write, the district expectations for classroom implementation of curriculum, and the teachers' abilities to describe their own visions or goals for writing instruction all have considerable impact on how the program is implemented and the role the published curriculum plays in the classroom. The implications of my research include the importance of ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to develop their beliefs about how children learn to write, and the need for teacher education programs to provide experiences that enable future teachers to develop their own goals or visions for students in their classrooms.