Understanding Teacher Change: Revisiting the Concerns Based Adoption Model

Abstract

The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a widely applied theory and methodology for studying the process of implementing educational change by teachers and by persons acting in change-facilitating roles. A review of recent research associated with CBAM in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the world reveals a curious absence of theoretical critique and development of the model since the mid-1980s. The article identifies promising directions for continued research and development on CBAM theory. The author argues that further theoretically motivated—not just applied—research is needed to refine the CBAM model and to enhance its relevance to understanding teacher and school-level responses to contemporary focuses of educational change.