What is a Theory of Action?
Three Main Requirements
The Causal Role: The theory of action must begin with a statement of a causal relationship
When learning from instructional rounds, it is important for individuals to develop their own personal theories of action and then share them with their colleagues.
If the adults who work in schools are actively learning about the causal relationship between their work and the work between other teachers and other students, then support for improved instructional practice will increase and the work of teachers and students will become more effective.
The learning and development of adults must be explicitly connected, through organizational processes, to the learning and development of students in classrooms.
Investing in higher results for teachers’ level of understanding increases student engagement and high-level cognitive results.
The Conditional Role: It must be empirically falsifiable
Theories of action that develop during instructional rounds are always subject to revision and specification in light of new evidence.
Questioning the practice is not a bad thing, it is part of the practice.
The Open Role: It must be open-ended
The theory of action is expected to change as the network members learn more about what helps them learn and what leads them to apply their learning most effectively in schools.
Having a final theory of action is not as important as having an open-ended strategy that is ready to adjust to change.
How to apply a theory of action to your district:
To apply the theory of action in a larger context, taking action is the next step after shaping and identifying the problem of practice. Applying a personal theory of action can go something like this:
- First, develop a clearly articulated and widely held and understood point of view on what high-quality teaching and learning looks like. Make sure this view is shaped by the best thinking possible (inside and outside the district) about improving the instructional core.
- Secondly, build a collaborative learning culture that replaces the compliance orientation (for children and adults) typical of most districts. Create one with engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Lastly, develop and implement coherent, system-wide strategies that support the kind of teaching and learning that districts want in all their classrooms. Build a theory of action that articulates your belief about how to most effectively improve instruction and student learning, focusing deeply on a few key strategies that bring this theory of action to life.
