The emergence of a new school subject. Innovation education in compulsory schools

Abstract

Innovation and Practical Use of I{nowledge was introduced into the Icelandic National Curriculum for compulsory schools in 1999, where it is defined by the curriculum writers as a but is not allocated any direct time in the recommended guidelines for subjects. This paper describes a master's research project from the University of Iceland, Faculty of Pedagogy and which focuses on how Innovation emerged in Iceland and how the subject has developed; what mal{es the sllbject special; and what factors; int~rnal and external, have influenced its dissemination. The paper will include an overview of the data collection and analysis methods and an overview of the findings. In Innovation it is assllmed that everyone can be creative and the emphasis is on enhancing creative activities of students through direct connection,s t~ everyday life. Educational innovations based on this Irind of approach have struggled against the strong underlying factors inherent in the institutional culture of education. There are several factors influencing the implementation of the Innovation Education curriculum in Iceland, and whether or not it is maintained. As identified by this research, these factors include the role of teachers and their professional philosophies; school culture; the role of the head teacher; assessment; emphasis on acad,emic learning; and access to information and teaching materials. Diverse research methods have been utilised during this research. The blllir of data collection can be categorised as having used qualitative methods; statistical methods such as questionnaires were used to measure the dissemination of the subject. Interviews and ob'servations were used to gather data from students, teachers, head teachers, pioneers in Innovation Education, entrepreneurs and ministry officials. Documentation of various kinds was also consulted, including reports, laws, curriculum, teaching materials and products from Innovation lessons. The research indicates in conclusion that curriculum formulation and implementation is a complex inte11play of connected factors that are not completely predictable. It seems of more use to view changes within education systems as an organic rather than a linear progression, more comparable to biological evolution than to the production process of a factory. It is important to recognise the fundamental factors, inherent in the hidden curriculum, and verify their powers to influence the development of the subject. In this research an attempt is being made to understand and analyse how a new school subject is emerging. The subject researched here is Innovation (IE) which started emerging in Icelandic compulsory schools in the early 1990s and was formalized in the National Curriculum for Compulsory Schools in 1999 (A iJalnamslc1,a. Upplysinga og tmlcnimennt, 1999). I had been a