Qualities of the stages of concern questionnaire and implications for educational innovations

This article demonstrates a test of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, a hierarchical framework for conceptualizing the concerns that professionals may have about an innovation, and the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, an instrument designed to assess trainee concerns. The study was conducted in the context of inservice training for professionals working in early intervention programs for infants and preschoolers with disabilities. A five-stage model, as opposed to the original seven-stage model, was found to be a more parsimonious and psychometrically consistent framework for conceptualizing needs. Data are presented in support of a revised model and a reorganized and shortened Stages of Concern Questionnaire. Implications for future training and research efforts are discussed.