Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which elementary teachers who attended the San Jose Area Writing Project's Invitational Summer Institute enacted the role of teacher leader as change agent and to identify behaviors they used to diffuse the ideas and teaching strategies they learned at the institute to other teachers. The study assessed: (1) the degree to which the teacher leaders perceived that they fulfilled the role of teacher leader as change agent, and (2) the change agent behaviors and other behaviors the teacher leaders used to diffuse the ideas and teaching strategies they learned during the institute. Methodology. This was a descriptive study. A questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect data from eighteen elementary teachers who attended the San Jose Area Writing Project's Invitational Summer Institute between 1990 and 1994. Findings. The eighteen teachers: (1) perceived that they enacted the role of teacher leaders as change agent to a "moderate degree"; (2) used all six change agent behaviors identified by Havelock, Huberman, and Miles; (3) used change agent behaviors that inform, promote, and demonstrate more frequently than the behaviors that train, help, and nurture other teachers; and (4) used training least frequently of any of the six change agent behaviors. Conclusions. (1) The eighteen teacher leaders in the San Jose cadre fully adopted and continue to implement the ideas and teaching strategies they learned during the Invitational Summer Institute in their classrooms. (2) The extent to which the ideas and teaching strategies the teacher leaders learned during the institute are adopted and fully implemented by other teachers at their schools is minimized because teacher leaders are not expected to use the change agent behaviors that train, help, and nurture other teachers. Recommendations. Provide follow-up instruction for teacher leaders during the inter-session at San Jose State University that will assist them to use the six change agent behaviors and to understand the adoption process. In addition, provide teacher leaders with information about adult learning styles, the adult learning cycle, and research about the diffusion of innovations.