Teachers resistance to change: Features and strategies for an unsolved issue

Abstract

Resistance to change, understood as observable behaviour in response to the displeasure or challenge teachers feel as a consequence of the introduction of new ideas, methods or devices, is a constant in educational organizations. Educational systems, as dynamic organizations willing to respond to the training needs of the population, must assume that change is inevitable and so is resistance to it. Therefore, a study is required to find out strategies and incentives for institutional managers to deal with resistance, since successful changes are only possible when resistance has been properly managed. The main goal is to develop a bibliographic study that characterizes the teaching resistance to change, its associated factors, the typologies and common profiles and the possible strategies to deal with. The result is a review of the different international conceptions, factors, attitudes and strategies suggested by the scientific community. The problem is identified as long-standing, unresolved and transversal to the countries, with a bibliographic gap regarding success stories. These results will allow the formulation of theoretical framework for educational policies and strategic plans that, when contemplating the teaching resistance to change, would improve the chances of success.