ABSTRACT
The RAP scheme is in essence a school improvement initiative, in that it aims to increase pupils’ academic achievement by encouraging teachers to take a systematic, sustained and active approach to change. Fullan and Hargreaves (1992) point out that the key success indicator of any innovatory programme is the extent to which teachers’ classroom practice is changed. They draw a distinction between large-scale top-down innovations that demand rapid, radical changes in practice and small-scale, school-initiated, collaborative attempts to work on specific areas of practice. The former have a poor record of success, while the long-term effects of the latter approach appear to be more long lasting and become more deep-rooted within the culture of the school.
