Characteristics of teachers as change agents
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Heijden, van der, H. R. M. A., Geldens, J. J. M., Beijaard, D., & Popeijus, H. L. (2015). Characteristics of
teachers as change agents.
Teachers and Teaching
,
21
(6), 681-699.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044328
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Characteristics of teachers as change
agents
H.R.M.A. van der Heijden
ab
, J.J.M. Geldens
a
, D. Beijaard
b
& H.L.
Popeijus
a
a
Kempel Research Center, University of Professional Teacher
Education De Kempel, Helmond, The Netherlands
b
Eindhoven School of Education, Eindhoven University of
Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Published online: 02 Jun 2015.
To cite this article: H.R.M.A. van der Heijden, J.J.M. Geldens, D. Beijaard & H.L. Popeijus (2015)
Characteristics of teachers as change agents, Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 21:6,
681-699, DOI: 10.1080/13540602.2015.1044328
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044328
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Characteristics of teachers as change agents
H.R.M.A. van der Heijden
a,b
*, J.J.M. Geldens
a
, D. Beijaard
b
and H.L. Popeijus
a
a
Kempel Research Center, University of Professional Teacher Education De Kempel,
Helmond, The Netherlands;
b
Eindhoven School of Education, Eindhoven University of
Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
(Received 7 April 2014; accepted 6 March 2015)
Teachers play a key role in realizing successful changes in education. Among
them are real ‘change agents’ at both classroom and school level. To obtain
insights into what characterizes these teachers, an exploratory study has been
conducted by interviewing external experts, principals, and teachers (n = 20). An
analysis of data resulted in a picture of characteristics attributed to teachers as
change agents. These characteristics pertain to lifelong learning (being eager to
learn and reflective), mastery (giving guidance, being accessible, positive, com-
mitted, trustful, and self-assured), entrepreneurship (being innovative and feeling
responsible), and collaboration (being collegial). The category mastery appeared
to consist of the most characteristics. Within the category entrepreneurship, ‘be-
ing innovative’ was mentioned most. The characteristics mentioned apply to both
the classroom and school level, but the importance of demonstrating these
characteristics at the school level seems to be weighed less heavily by teachers
than by experts and principals.
Keywords: teachers as change agents; teacher characteristics; professional
agency; teacher change; primary education
Introduction
Teachers play a key role in realizing successful changes in education. Essential for
this is that they are already from the beginning actively involved in a process of
change in their schools (Bakkenes, Vermunt, & Wubbels,
2010; Fullan, 2007).
Teachers differently use their ‘professional agency’ in such processes (see also
Lasky,
2005; Sannino, 2010). Their professional agency is expressed in the ways
they influence work-related matters, make choices and decisions at work, and act
accordingly (Vähäsantanen,
2013). Teachers may use their agency to support, take a
critical stance, or even resist educational change in their schools (Sannino,
2010).
However, not much is known about how and to what extent teachers actually do so
in daily practice.
Eteläpelto, Vähäsantanen, Hökkä, and Paloniemi (
2013) argue that professional
agency is needed to develop the work of teachers at both classroom and school
level, for professional learning, and for renegotiating their professional identities in
changing educational practices. It is generally agreed that the way teachers act,
develop themselves, and learn from and through their work in schools is influenced
by personal factors, including the way they (want to) see themselves as teachers
*Corresponding author. Email: m.heijden@kempel.nl
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 2015
Vol. 21, No. 6, 681–699, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2015.1044328
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(self-image), and the educational context (or environment) in which they work
(Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop,
2004; Clardy, 2000; Day, Sammons, Stobart, Kington,
& Gu,
2007; Kelchtermans, 2009; Lasky, 2005; Scribner, 1999; Van Eekelen,
Vermunt, & Boshuizen,
2006). Teachers’ sense of their professional selves influences
how they practice agency at work (Vähäsantanen & Eteläpelto,
2011). Teachers’
professional agency and the social context in which they work can be seen as being
mutually constitutive and highly interdependent (Eteläpelto et al.,
2013; Lasky,
2005; Vähäsantanen, 2013; van Oers, 2014). It seems important to create supportive
school contexts in which teachers are encouraged to be agentic in order to positively
influence or change their education, and to learn and develop themselves both indi-
vidually and with their colleagues (Day, Elliot, & Kington,
2005; Fullan, 1993b).
Kwakman (
2003) concludes in her research on teacher professional development,
that personal characteristics of teachers (for example, their attitudes towards some-
thing new or what they do or do not appraise as meaningful) have more influence
on teacher learning and development than school contexts do. Hattie (
2012) also
points out that individual characteristics of teachers, such as their beliefs and com-
mitments, have the greatest influence on their students’ achievement. Personal
characteristics explain to a large extent differences among teachers in the way and
the extent to which they enact professional agency in order to influence or change
education, also within the same school (e.g. Bakkenes et al.,
2010; Fullan, 2007,
2013).
The rapidly changing society of today requires from teachers that they are able
and willing to cope with the many challenges of change. In today’s schools, teachers
are needed who are real change agents, thus teachers who are willing to learn and
change from ‘inside’ (internal drive to reflect and make sense of things) and
‘outside’ (meeting external demands), both individually and in collaboration with
others in their schools (Fullan,
1993a, 1993b, 2013; Hattie, 2012). Until now, little
empirical research has been done on what characterizes teachers as change agents as
they influence, change, or improve education in daily practice by using their agency
(Eteläpelto et al.,
2013; Lukacs, 2009; Van der Bolt, Studulski, Van der Vegt, &
Bontje,
2006).
The purpose of this exploratory study is to identify personal characteristics of
teachers who act as change agents in primary schools. A characteristic can be
defined as a typical feature of a person that can be observed and consists of
behavioral and attitudinal components expressed, for example, in underlying knowl-
edge, beliefs, and feelings (Ajzen,
2001; Ajzen & Fishbein, 2000). A follow-up
study will investigate to what extent these characteristics are promoted or hindered
by teachers’ school contexts, significant others, and the wider political, social, and
cultural contexts of schools. Teacher education and schools might benefit from
knowing what characterizes teachers as change agents; for example, by using the
findings as a source for reflection by (prospective) teachers on their own profes-
sional identity development and what it means to be a change agent in schools. In
the long term, the results of this and other research on teachers as change agents
may have an impact not only on teachers’ further professional development (as an
investment) but also on schools’ personnel policy regarding the composition of
school teams and the way such a team can function optimally (see also Hargreaves
& Fullan,
2012).
682 H.R.M.A. van der Heijden et al.
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