Innovatie In Het Moderne Vreemde Talen Onderwijs - Niet Alleen Een "Vak" Probleem

Abstract

When we talk about innovation in the teaching of modern foreign languages, we often refer to various areas: new theories in the. psychology of learning, advanced lesson materials, etc. All these aspects have one thing in common, namely, that they are intended to bring about changes in classroom practice. However, a self-evident relation between the areas of innovation mentioned and the classroom practice is too readily assumed. This leads to disappointing results for teachers and councellors alike. One thing that is clearly demonstrated is the importance of the individual teacher's experience in the innovation process. This determines to a large extent how the teacher operates in that process. In order to gain insight into the complexity of an innovation process the 'Concerns-Based Adoption Model' (CBAM) was used in the Mavo project. This model was introduced by Van den Berg and Vandenberghe and was adapted for the Dutch/Belgian situation. This model utilizes 'Stages of Concern' which give insight into the processes that (can) take place within teachers during an innovation process. These 'Stages of Concern' are closely related to the 'Levels of Use' - these latter being the means by which we measure the way in which and the extent to which teachers use innovation. Application of this model in the Mavo project led to, among other things, a reflection on the relational aspects of guidance activities. The 'Concerns-Based Adoption Model' could fulfil a mirror function for those who would like to gain insight into the effects of their guidance activities