LEADER 00000nam  2200361   4500 
001    AAI9923207 
005    20051108101503.5 
008    051108s1999                        eng d 
020    0599356219 
035    (UnM)AAI9923207 
040    UnM|cUnM 
100 1  Spies, Paul Christopher 
245 14 The dynamics of implementing and sustaining 
       interdisciplinary teams in departmentalized high schools: 
       A comparative case study of challenges and supports 
300    464 p 
500    Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 60-
       06, Section: A, page: 1894 
500    Supervisor: Alan Lockwood 
502    Thesis (Ph.D.)--The University of Wisconsin - Madison, 
       1999 
520    The research reported in this dissertation is the result 
       of a comparative, qualitative case study of two high 
       schools which have implemented and sustained numerous 
       interdisciplinary teams for the past several years. The 
       central question of interest which guided this study 
       related to the nature of challenges and supports 
       encountered with this reform which can be a threat to the 
       century-long traditions of high school education; namely, 
       the separate-subjects, factory model approach to 
       curriculum, instruction, and scheduling. Through 
       interviewing dozens of teachers and administrators at both
       school settings from May 1998 to October 1998, examining 
       program documents and making observations of team 
       activities, a conceptual framework of support related to 
       implementing and sustaining interdisciplinary teams was 
       developed. The initial conceptual framework included 
       several possible forms of support as well as a support 
       continuum ranging from tolerance to advocacy based on the 
       researcher's understanding of the innovation as a former 
       team teacher and consultant in various high schools 
520    After synthesizing the findings from both schools in this 
       study, four dimensions of support were found to be 
       essential to team sustenance along with numerous supports 
       found to be either important or welcomed, but not as 
       critical as the four deemed essential. These four 
       interdependent and not singularly sufficient forms of 
       essential support are conceptualized as Participatory 
       Support, Structural Support, Leadership Support, and 
       Environmental Support. Essential Participatory Supports 
       included teacher willingness, student and parent choice, 
       and team teacher compatibility. Essential Structural 
       Supports included common planning time for team teachers, 
       common groups of students, and smaller-than-average class 
       sizes. As for Leadership Support, advocacy from teacher 
       and administrative leaders in terms of administrative 
       duties as well as interpersonal, philosophical, and 
       political support related to teams was also found 
       essential to program sustenance at each school. Finally, 
       essential Environmental Supports for the teams were found 
       to include district and state learning standards as well 
       as collaborative and risk-taking school cultures. The most
       important yet not essential form of support for sustaining
       interdisciplinary teams at each school was teaming-
       specific professional development experiences 
590    School code: 0262 
590    DDC 
650  4 Education, Curriculum and Instruction 
650  4 Education, Secondary 
650  4 Education, Administration 
690    0727 
690    0533 
690    0514 
710 20 The University of Wisconsin - Madison 
773 0  |tDissertation Abstracts International|g60-06A 
856 40 |uhttp://pqdd.sinica.edu.tw/twdaoapp/servlet/
       advanced?query=9923207