Motivation and Change-Efficacy of Teachers in the Adoption of Literacy Interventions
Abstract
This paper examines factors influencing teacher readiness to adopt a literacy intervention, Inkhulumo (adapted Quality Talk), in a rural South African high school. Guided by the Active Implementation Framework and Weiner’s Theory of Organisational Readiness for Change, the research focuses on the exploration and installation stages of implementation, emphasising the interplay between teacher motivation and change-efficacy. An integrative mixed-method design combined structured classroom observations, participatory sessions, interviews, and document analysis. Findings reveal that teacher motivation was driven by recognised student literacy needs, shared stakeholder acknowledgment, perceived intervention appropriateness, perceived academic and life benefits. Change-efficacy was initially strengthened by professional qualifications, teaching experience, prior collaborative projects, leadership support, and collegial planning, but fluctuated when practical challenges arose during installation. The results highlight that while strong motivation is necessary for adoption, sustaining implementation in challenged contexts requires reinforcing teacher efficacy through targeted professional development, peer collaboration, and ongoing leadership engagement. These findings contribute to informing intervention design and developing contextually relevant intervention strategies for improving literacy outcomes in LMICs.
Downloads
References
Aarons G.A., Green A.E., Trott E., Willging C.E., Torres E.M., Ehrhart M.G., Roesch S.C. (2016) The Roles of System and Organizational Leadership in System-Wide Evidence-Based Intervention Sustainment: A Mixed-Method Study. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, vol. 43, no 6, pp. 991–1008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-016-0751-4
Adeleye O.O., Eden C.A., Adeniyi I.S. (2024) Educational Technology and the Digital Divide: A Conceptual Framework for Technical Literacy Inclusion. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, vol. 12, no 1, pp. 150–156. https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2024.12.1.0405
Clark V., Ivankova N. (2016) Mixed Methods Research: A Guide to the Field. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Cohen L., Manion L., Morrison K. (2002) Research Methods in Education. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203224342
Conroy M.A., Sutherland K.S., Algina J., Ladwig C., Werch B., Martinez J. et al. (2019) Outcomes of the BEST in CLASS Intervention on Teachers' Use of Effective Practices, Self-Efficacy, and Classroom Quality. School Psychology Review, vol. 48, no 1, pp. 31–45. https://doi.org/10.17105/spr-2018-0003.V48-1
Croninger R.M., Li M., Cameron C., Murphy P.K. (2017) Classroom Discussions: Building the Foundation for Productive Talk. Classroom Discussions in Education (ed. P.K. Murphy), New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 1–29. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315174594-1
Dyssegaard C.B., Egelund N., Sommersel H.B. (2017) What Enables or Hinders the Use of Research-Based Knowledge in Primary and Lower Secondary—A Systematic Review and State of the Field Analysis. Clearinghouse – Research Series
no 31. Copenhagen: Aarhus Universitet.
Domitrovich C.E., Bradshaw C.P., Poduska J.M., Hoagwood K., Buckley J.A., Olin S. et al. (2008) Maximizing the Implementation Quality of Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions in Schools: A Conceptual Framework. Advances in School Mental Health Promotion, vol. 1, no 3, pp. 6–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/1754730x.2008.9715730
Domitrovich C.E., Pas E.T., Bradshaw C.P., Becker K.D., Keperling J.P., Embry D.D., Ialongo N. (2015) Individual and School Organizational Factors that Influence Implementation of the PAX Good Behavior Game Intervention. Prevention Science, vol. 16, no 8, pp. 1064–1074. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-015-0557-8
Durlak J.A., DuPre E.P. (2008) Implementation Matters: A Review of Research on the Influence of Implementation on Program Outcomes and the Factors Affecting Implementation. American Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 41, no 3–4, pp. 327–350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-008-9165-0
Ebersöhn L. (2015) Making Sense of Place in School-Based Intervention Research. Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 40, no 3, pp. 121–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.10.004
Ebersöhn L., Loots T. (2017) Teacher Agency in Challenging Contexts as a Consequence of Social Support and Resource Management. International Journal of Educational Development, vol. 53, March, pp. 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2016.11.005
Fixsen D.L., Blase K.A., Van Dyke M.K. (2019) Implementation Practice and Science. Available at: https://www.activeimplementation.org/resources/implementation-practice-and-science/ (accessed 4.09.2025)
Fixsen D.L., Naoom S.F., Blase K.A., Friedman R.M., Wallace F. (2005) Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature. Tampa, FL: National Implementation Research Network.
Han S.S., Weiss B. (2005) Sustainability of Teacher Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Programs. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, vol. 33, no 6, pp. 665–679. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-005-7646-2
Hanson R.F., Self-Brown S., Rostad W.L., Jackson M.C. (2016) The What, When, and Why of Implementation Frameworks for Evidence-Based Practices in Child Welfare and Child Mental Health Service Systems. Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 53, March, pp. 51–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.09.014
Harvey G., Kitson A. (2015) Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203557334
Heugh K. (2021) Southern Multilingualisms, Translanguaging and Transknowledging in Inclusive and Sustainable Education. Language and the Sustainable Development Goals (eds L.J. McEntee-Atalianis, H. Tonkin), Cham: Springer, pp. 37–47.
Humphrey N., Lendrum A., Ashworth E., Frearson K., Buck R., Kerr K. (2016) Implementation and Process Evaluations (IPE) for Interventions in Education Settings: A Synthesis of the Literature. London: Education Endowment Foundation.
Hunter L.J., Bierman K.L. (2021) Implementing a School Readiness Intervention in Community-Based Childcare Centers: Director and Teacher Perceptions. Early Education and Development, vol. 32, no 8, pp. 1153–1173. https://doi.org/0.1080/10409289.2020.1833162
Johnson S.R., Pas E.T., Loh D., Debnam K.J., Bradshaw C.P. (2017) High School Teachers' Openness to Adopting New Practices: The Role of Personal Resources and Organizational Climate. School Mental Health, vol. 9, no 1, pp. 16–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-016-9201-4
Kim Y.-S.G., Lee H., Zuilkowski S.S. (2020) Impact of Literacy Interventions on Reading Skills in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Meta-Analysis. Child Development, vol. 91, no 2, pp. 638–660. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13204
Leithwood K. (2021) A Review of Evidence about Equitable School Leadership. Education Sciences, vol. 11, no 8, Article no 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080377
Lochman J.E., Powell N.P., Boxmeyer C.L., Qu L., Sallee M., Wells K.C., Windle M. (2015) Counselor-Level Predictors of Sustained Use of an Indicated Preventive Intervention for Aggressive Children. Prevention Science, vol. 16, no 8, pp. 1075–1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-014-0511-1
Maree K., Pietersen J. (2020) The Quantitative Research Process. First Steps in Research (ed. K. Maree), Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
McLoughlin G.M., Candal P., Vazou S., Lee J.A., Dzewaltowski D.A., Rosenkranz R.R. et al. (2020) Evaluating the Implementation of the SWITCH(R) School Wellness Intervention and Capacity-Building Process through Multiple Methods. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 17, no 1, Article no 162. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-01070-y
Merle J.L., Cook C.R., Locke J.J., Ehrhart M.G., Brown E.C., Davis C.J., Lyon A.R. (2023) Teacher Attitudes toward Evidence-Based Practices: Exploratory and Confirmatory Analyses of the School-Adapted Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale. Implementation Research and Practice, vol. 4, Article no 26334895221151026. https://doi.org/10.1177/26334895221151026
Mlachila M., Moeletsi T. (2019) Struggling to Make the Grade: A Review of the Causes and Consequences of the Weak Outcomes of South Africa's Education System. IMF Working Paper, vol. 2019, iss. 47. https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498301374.001
Murphy P.K. (2015) Marking the Way: School-Based Interventions that “Work”. Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 40, January, pp. 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.10.003
Nilsen P. (2015) Making Sense of Implementation Theories, Models and Frameworks. Implementation Science, vol. 10, Article no 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0
O’Cathain A. (2010) Assessing the Quality of Mixed Methods Research: Towards a Comprehensive Framework. Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research (eds A. Tashakkori, C. Teddlie), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 531–556. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506335193.n21
Popova A., Evans D.K., Breeding M.E., Arancibia V. (2021) Teacher Professional Development around the World: The Gap between Evidence and Practice. The World Bank Research Observer, vol. 37, no 1, pp. 107–136. https://doi.org/10.1093/wbro/lkab006
Pretorius E., Spaull N. (2022) Reading Research in South Africa (2010–2022): Coming of Age and Accounting for Empirical Regularities. Early Grade Reading in South Africa (eds N. Spaull, E. Pretorius), Cape Town: Oxford University Press, pp. 1–22.
Rule P., John V. (2011) Your Guide to Case Study Research. Pretoria: Van Schaik.
Spaull N. (2022) Background Report for the 2030 Reading Panel. Available at: https://www.readingpanel.co.za/resources (accessed 4.09.2025).
Teddlie C., Tashakkori A. (2008) Foundations of Mixed Methods Research: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Sage.
Tschannen-Moran M., Hoy A.W. (2001) Teacher Efficacy: Capturing an Elusive Construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 17, no 7, pp. 783–805. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)00036-1
Tschannen-Moran M., Johnson D. (2011) Exploring Literacy Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Potential Sources at Play. Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 27, no 4, pp. 751–761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.12.005
UNESCO (2024) Education and Climate Change: Learning to Act for People and Planet. Paris: UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54676/GVXA4765
UNESCO (2018) Handbook on Measuring Equity in Education. Montréal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. https://doi.org/10.15581/004.39.39599
Versfeld J., Graham M.A., Ebersöhn L. (2023) Time to Flock: Time Together Strengthens Relationships and Enhances Trust to Teach despite Challenges. Teachers and Teaching, vol. 29, no 1, pp. 70–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2145279
Weiner B.J. (2009) A Theory of Organizational Readiness for Change. Implementation Science, vol. 4, Article no 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67
World Bank et al. (2022) The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 update. Vol. 48. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1596/37718
.jpg){kind=small}
