Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to identify the types, if any, of resistance to change for elementary teachers with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in school districts in Southern California using Harvey and Broyles's (2010) 19 resistance-to-change factors. Methodology. This study utilized a 19-question Likert scale survey based on Harvey and Broyles' (2010) resistance-to-change factors. The sample population for this study consisted of 280 K-6 teachers teaching in Orange, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles Counties. Findings. This study found that differential knowledge, sudden wholesale change, ambiguity, and extremes of organizational structure caused the greatest resistance to change to the CCSS. Whereas, boredom, superiority, inertia, suspicion, and lack of recognition contributed the least to teachers' resistance to the CCSS. All the resistance factors found to have the greatest influence on resistance to the CCSS are ones that teachers did not have control over. Conversely, the resistance factors that had the least effect on teachers' resistance are factors teachers have control over. Conclusions. The results indicated that teachers are open to implementing the new standards and are confident in their ability to master the standards and teach them well. In addition, teachers have no suspicions of how the standards will be used or seek any recognition for implementing the new standards. Teachers, on the other hand, were resistant to how the standards themselves were implemented by the states. Recommendations. School districts and sites have the opportunity to support the transition by providing adequate professional development, time for teachers to work with the standards and become more familiar with them, and create a guiding coalition where capacity building is a focal point. It is recommended that this study be duplicated using a different instrument and comparing the new results with this study. In addition, it would be interesting to study whether teachers are resistant to CCSS, or if they are resistant to any type of changes. Length of teaching years, veteran versus novice teacher, and the stage in which the CCSS are implemented in each particular district may yield interesting data.