Literacy Lead Teachers' Perspectives on Voluntary Adoption of Structured Literacy in Aotearoa New Zealand Primary Schools

Structured literacy is now mandated for early primary literacy teaching in Aotearoa New Zealand. The success of policy shifts is influenced by how teachers and schools are supported to enact practice change and how they respond to reform. This study examines pre-mandate, voluntary transitions to structured literacy through an implementation science lens. In 2023, six literacy lead teachers from New Zealand primary schools who were leading early adoption of structured literacy participated in semi-structured online interviews. Transcripts were returned for accuracy checking and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis within a critical realist orientation. Findings were interpreted post-thematically using GIF-School and the Theoretical Domains Framework and considered alongside change leadership literature on mandated school reform. Six themes captured implementation as complex educational change: (1) Recognising the need for change; (2) self-directed professional relearning; (3) supporting the transition; (4) the labour of implementation; (5) relational and organisational supports; and (6) perceived learner success led to renewed teacher purpose. These early adopter accounts suggest that sustained attention to teacher knowledge and professional commitment; emotional sense-making; workload; relational leadership; resourcing; and school-wide coherence were needed to support structured literacy to become embedded practice. The findings are consistent with implementation science and change leadership literature emphasising the organisational, relational, and professional conditions required for educational reform. Further research is needed to examine teachers’ responses to mandated implementation and whether current supports are sufficient to achieve sustained, coherent change.