Although much is written about curriculum change, little attention is given to the actual implementation of the changes at the classroom level. During this stage, the intended outcomes are put into operation and teachers are influenced by a variety of factors that can result in unintended harmful effects for students. For example, a student who learns a new method of doing mathematics might continue to use it long after the underlying learning objectives have been achieved. The teacher might also devote too much time to the new approach, detracting from clinical and other teaching efforts.
Despite these challenges, the research described in this article shows that effective implementation of curricular innovations is possible. It is imperative to understand that teachers must be able to adapt their instruction and assessment methods as they implement curriculum changes in order to provide quality education for students.
To help with this, a new evaluation model has been developed that can provide useful diagnostic information to guide the development of successful curriculum changes. We refer to this as the Concerns-based Adoption Model (CBAM). CBAM focuses on specific concerns rather than on broad organizational issues and allows for identification of the critical units that will need support during implementation. Using the CBAM, the authors of this study identified a number of common themes that emerged from interviews with basic science and clinical faculty members regarding curriculum change. These results indicate that, in order to implement a successful curriculum reform, a good governance structure must be implemented.
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