Innovative Study Methods Adaptation: The Power of an Effective Teacher

Abstract

Teachers in modern higher education are facing a significant challenge – to adapt themselves and to adapt educational process to a constantly changing student demographic. Innovative study methods (hereinafter - ISMs) have been developed to meet the learning needs of modern students, making their use necessary and desirable in every teacher’s activities. ISMs are accepted more quickly by students in such cases when these methods align with their cultural, social and value basis. Thus, teachers need to adapt the ISMs to their own and their students’ personality traits, needs and aspirations. It is important to determine in this context how the adaptation of ISMs take place in the context of teachers’ activities. The teacher is the main actor in the adaptation process of educational innovations because s/he will decide how to adapt the ISMs. Hence, it is important to identify the key teacher characteristics that influence this process. The theory of adaptation, which is customized to the university context, is used to construct a theoretical model. This paper presents the conceptual framework, based on literature analysis and theoretical modeling, and reveals the innovation process and innovation decision process through teacher and student interaction in higher education. The paper demonstrates that the teacher’s competence, personality traits, attitudes, and the past experience of ISMs adaptation play a pivotal role in an ISM adaptation process. Key activities of ISM adaptation include identification of the elements, their modification, and consultations with ISMs developers about adapted elements, testing and analysis of adapted elements.