To Overview | Issues in Using the Internet in Instruction

Theory of Teacher Adaptation to Change

	Explorer: Risk-taker
Wants:	The newest.
Avoids:	Boredom.
Degree of Stability:	Easily distracted.
Motivation:	Creativity, newness and excitement. May be the "lower SES" of the academy--willing to risk in order to advance.
Training:	Teaches self. May jump the gun. Doesn't like learning with others. Seeks thrills.
Problems:	Long term planning; Accepting supervision. Fitting in.

	Pioneer: Opinion leader
Wants:	Theory building, advantages of the innovation.
Avoids:	Being/feeling trapped.
Degree of Stability:	Eventually walks away from built structure, perhaps only partially finished, and starts something new.
Motivation:	Understanding, developing the foundation.
Training:	Teaches self and others; copes well with uncertainty. (May even like uncertainty).
Problems:	Time management; May be unrealistically idealistic. Some difficulty accepting supervision.

	Settler: Joiner
Wants:	Connections with others.
Avoids:	“Waste” of any sort.
Degree of Stability:	High, moves if practical reason.
Motivation:	"Does it work?"; wants what is good for “family” (which may be students).
Training:	Prefers group training; minimize tech (templates); takes a long time to decide.
Problems:	Misses opportunity because doesn't take risks; wants people/emotional-support.

	Established "Back East," The "Comfortable" Ones
Wants:	Peace. Predictability.
Avoids:	Disruption.
Degree of Stability:	Comfortable, no change short of crisis.
Motivation:	"Don’t lose the good"; uphold customary standards. As a group may have most diverse motivations of the 4, including too few resources to change or in midst of personal crisis, such as health problem.
Training:	Must literally see the necessity (economic or social)-use concrete examples; Generally trainer must “hide” tech; (May learn it for a hobby.)
Problems:	May undermine needed changes.

Caveats:

• All inferences are theoretical. Take this as an organizing structure, not "truth." I have attempted to avoid investing any "type" with particularly favorable or unfavorable characterizations as compared to the other three.
• The four "types" are, of course, stereotypes, which will fail to capture the true complexity of human behavior. But they may help in planning activities that appeal to all groups or in being empathetic to a point of view divergent from your own.
• A single person may fall in different categories across different areas of their life and/or across different periods in their life.
• Crisis may move a person from one category to the next.
• The further apart individuals fall on the scale, the less likely they are to work happily with one another. For example, pairing two Settlers, or even a Pioneer and Settler is likely to be an amicable experience. Pairing an Explorer and a Settler is likely to be less satisfactory and an Explorer and a "Comfortable" one for more than a short period may well be disastrous.

Adapted and extended from

• R. Clemmons. Personal communication. (Feb. 13, 1999).
• Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of innovations. NY: Free Press.
• T. Rocklin. Personal communication. (Mar. 8, 1999).

I apologize for the gender stereotyped, animated images. They were all I had available to illustrate the points most effectively and looked pleasing together

To Overview | Issues in Using the Internet in Instruction