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They may feel threatened by new ideas and fear that they will actually be changes for the worse instead of for the better, simply because they are unfamiliar. Another point is that people may have a vested interest in not accepting change. According to Kotter (1996) people like to feel that they are in control of what is happening to them; they want to be the ones steering their own ship; and the more that change is imposed on them, the more they will see it as something to feel threatened about and the more they will resist it.
Unfortunately, simply being aware that these barriers exist is not sufficient to overcome them. It is the responsibility of the leaders of a learning community to gain an understanding of how to turn around resistance to change that is based on fear rather than rationality. This means not just relying on words but on action as well. As Kotter (1996) points out "Communication comes in both words and deeds. The latter is generally the most powerful form. Nothing undermines change more than behavior by important individuals that is inconsistent with the verbal communication" (p. 10). This can only be achieved through a carefully designed and clearly articulated mission and vision statement that is based largely on community input and feedback. Personal egos have no place in the development of a thriving learning community; we need collective goals that above all, put the future of our students and future leaders first.
References
Arlestig, H. (2007) Principals' communication inside schools: a contribution to school improvement? The Educational Forum, 71(3), 262 -- 273.
Felner, R.D., Kasak, D., Mulhall, P., & Flowers, N. (1997). The project on high performance learning communities. Phi Delta Kappan, 78(7), 520-527
Kilpatrick, M.B. & Jones, T. (n.d.) Defining learning communities. Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Australia
Kotter, J. (1996) Leading change. Harvard: Harvard Business School Press
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