Measuring Instructor Readiness for Pedagogical Innovation
Presented by:
Greg Mullen, Exploring the Core LLC
This session introduces a validated instrument using the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to measure instructors’ readiness for adopting collaborative, student-centered frameworks such as eduScrum.
Keywords:
Transtheoretical Model, Collaborative Teaching, eduScrum
Abstract:
This session presents findings from a survey-validation study applying the TTM to measure instructors’ readiness to adopt eduScrum, an Agile-based framework for collaborative teaching. Results from 71 international instructors demonstrated high reliability (α = .88) and significant predictive links between readiness stage, confidence, and frequency of practice. Distinctions between framework-specific and general collaboration readiness offer new insights into professional development design. Participants will explore how this stage-aligned diagnostic (i.e., Teacher eduScrum Practices Survey) can be adapted for use across higher education to guide evidence-based faculty development and instructional innovation.
Outcomes:
1. Describe how the Transtheoretical Model TTM can be applied to assess instructor readiness for adopting innovative teaching frameworks.
2. Interpret how readiness-stage diagnostics predict instructor confidence and practice frequency in collaborative pedagogies.
3. Design or adapt a stage-aligned professional development approach to support instructional change in their own institution.
Hear it from the author:
Transcript:
My name is Greg Mullen and I led this international study in collaboration with Anton Tolman and Benjamin Johnson at Utah Valley University, with design input from the founder of the eduScrum Framework.
Our research examined why the same professional development works well for some instructors but not for others. Using the eduScrum Framework as a test case, we applied the Transtheoretical Model for behavior change to develop and validate a brief survey measuring instructors’ readiness to adopt a new teaching model. We wanted to know whether readiness for a novel teaching framework like eduScrum, compared to general collaborative teaching practices, predicts how often and how confidently instructors use framework-specific practices.
Across an international group of K–16 instructors, we found three key takeaways. First, instructors who were more ready for change used eduScrum more frequently and with greater confidence. Second, readiness for eduScrum did not necessarily mean readiness for collaborative teaching practices more broadly. And third, these differences help explain why uniform, one-size professional development often falls short.
Our conclusion is practical: by diagnosing instructor readiness first, professional development can be better personalized, making the adoption of new teaching models more effective, more efficient, and more sustainable over time.
References:
Lubecki, L. M. (2014). The transtheoretical model and stages of change: Predicting the accuracy of the stages of change scale for early education and care 2.0 self-report form (Doctoral dissertation, St. John Fisher University). Education Doctoral. Paper 188.
Moreira, P., Moreira, F., Cunha, D., & Inman, R. A. (2020). The Academic Performance Stages of Change Inventory (APSCI): An application of the Transtheoretical Model to academic performance. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 8(3), 199–212.
Mullen, G., Johnson, B., & Tolman, A. (2025). Measuring instructor readiness for innovation: A Transtheoretical Model approach to supporting collaborative pedagogy in higher education [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1986). Toward a comprehensive model of change. In W. R. Miller & N. Heather (Eds.), Treating addictive behaviors (pp. 3–27). Springer.
Wijnands, W., & Stolze, A. (2019). Transforming education with eduScrum. In D. Parsons & K. MacCallum (Eds.), Agile and lean concepts for teaching and learning (pp. 95–114). Springer.