Innovative School Research Articles

An ambiguous aspiration: school actors making sense of educational innovation policy

ABSTRACT Educational innovation has received significant attention in contemporary policy debates. Many countries and regions have initiated comprehensive reforms to reshape teaching methods and link innovative practices with improved equity and performance outcomes. In Catalonia (Spain), a clear example of this phenomenon, recent policy developments have pressured schools and teachers to introduce innovative teaching practices to enhance the overall quality of the educational system. Yet, the conceptual framework of school innovation in this context is broad and ambiguous. Therefore, the Catalan case offers a rich context to explore how educational innovation policy is interpreted and enacted in schools. This study uses enactment and sensemaking theories, considering material, symbolic, and cognitive factors that explain variations in practices across schools. The study employs a qualitative approach to examine teachers’ and principals’ interpretations of the innovation policy and to analyse innovation practices. The findings show that the broad and ambiguous nature of the innovation policy mandate allows for wide interpretation, adaptation, and enactment, highly dependent on school actors’ understandings of innovation and contextual factors. Additionally, schools often engage in innovation at a superficial level, with externally driven, fragmented, and standardized innovation practices being most frequent, although this varies across schools’ socioeconomic levels.

Elements, Contexts, and Attributes of Teacher Leadership Identified by College Professors in southeastern Mexico

Teacher leadership has its beginnings in Western countries as a response to fast changes that have taken place in the social, political, and economic environments. Currently in the Latin American context it has become a focus of interest for educational researchers particularly because the incipient research on the topic in these contexts. This study focused on knowing the elements, contexts, and attributes identified by college teachers about teacher leadership southeastern Mexico. All full-time faculty from a college at a public university (50) participated in this study, 20% of whom have formal administrative functions in addition to their teaching. The main findings show that: the main elements that are related to the concept of teacher leadership are behaviors focused on interpersonal relationships and school innovation. Regarding the contexts, the development of teacher leadership is often based on institutional context and collaborative work. Regarding the attributes, special emphasis is placed on interpersonal relationships, change, and individual development and recognition. No significant differences were found in the perceptions of participants who have an administrative appointment and those who do not, regarding the contexts and attributes of teacher leadership, except for the elements of the concept of teacher leadership between men and women.

Developing a safe learning environment in primary-level innovative schools in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT This study examined how teachers in the Czech primary schooly create a safe learning environment, and identified key strategies they employ to foster a supportive and respectful classroom climate. Particular emphasis was placed on methodological analysis due to new requirements set by the Ministry of Education, which, within the new Competency Framework for Teaching Graduates, demands that teachers be capable of effectively establishing a safe educational setting. Innovative schools serve as crucial sources of inspiration for fulfilling this competence, as they implement progressive pedagogical approaches and methods that can be effectively adapted and applied across various educational contexts. The research was conducted through observations of teachers during classroom instruction and notes taken in field journals using a log. The results revealed that teachers utilise participatory rule-making, promote cooperation over competition, engage in open and non-violent communication, and adopt an individualised approach to teaching. These practices not only contribute to a safe classroom climate but also support the overall personal and academic development of students. The research also uncovered challenges faced by teachers, including maintaining discipline in an environment with high student autonomy and diversifying educational needs. Teachers overcome these challenges with flexible and expert approaches that support safe and inclusive education.

How does career calling influence teacher innovation? The chain mediation roles of organizational identification and work engagement

AbstractTeacher innovation is closely related to the improvement of basic education quality, and the cultivation of innovative talent for the nation. However, few studies have employed the causes of teacher innovation from the perspective of intrinsic motivation. To explore the factors and mechanisms affecting teacher innovation, we surveyed 421 middle school teachers to investigate the mediating roles of organizational identification and work engagement in the relationship between career calling and teacher innovation. The results indicate that career calling has a significantly positive impact on teacher innovation and that both organizational identification and work engagement mediate the effect of career calling on teacher innovation. Moreover, organizational identification and work engagement act as chain mediators in the relationship between career calling and teacher innovation. Therefore, to promote teacher innovation in middle school, it is important to emphasize the sense of calling, organizational identification, and work engagement. Practical implications for how to promote teacher innovation are also discussed.

Sekolah Adaptif: Strategi Membangun Budaya Organisasi yang Responsif terhadap Perubahan

An adaptive school is characterized by its ability to accommodate and respond to the dynamics of both external and internal environments, such as technological advancements, changes in educational policies, and evolving student needs. This research explores how schools can develop a culture of organization that is responsive to change through adaptive approaches. The study aims to investigate effective strategies for creating a flexible and innovative school environment and how the implementation of these strategies can enhance a school’s capability to handle challenges and changes. Through a qualitative approach using case studies of schools that have successfully applied adaptive principles, findings indicate that an adaptive organizational culture can improve educational quality and increase stakeholder satisfaction. The research is intended to provide practical guidance for educational leaders in designing and implementing sustainable adaptive strategies.

Impacts of innovation school system in Korea: a latent space item response model with Neyman–Scott point process

Abstract South Korea’s educational system has faced criticism for its lack of focus on critical thinking and creativity, resulting in high levels of stress and anxiety among students. As part of the government’s effort to improve the educational system, the innovation school system was introduced in 2009, which aims to develop students’ creativity as well as their non-cognitive skills. To better understand the differences between innovation and regular school systems in South Korea, we propose a novel method that combines the latent space item response model with the Neyman–Scott point process model. Our method accounts for the heterogeneity of items and students, captures relationships between respondents and items, and identifies item and student clusters that can provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ behaviours/perceptions on non-cognitive outcomes. Our analysis reveals that students in the innovation school system show a higher sense of citizenship, while those in the regular school system tend to associate confidence in appearance with social ability. A comparison with exploratory item factor analysis highlights our method’s advantages in terms of uncertainty quantification of the clustering process and more detailed and nuanced clustering results. Our method is made available to an existing R package, lsirm12pl.

Leading digital innovation in schools: the role of the open innovation mindset

Schools’ digitalization requires a shift of stakeholders’ mindsets, specific forms of leadership, and strategic knowledge management to deal with current and future educational challenges. The relationship between school leaders’ open innovation mindset, transformational leadership, knowledge management practices, and the effects on digital innovation are presented. A random sample of German school leaders is analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis to investigate the construct of school leaders’ open innovation mindset followed by structural equation modeling. Results show that digital innovations and transformational leadership in schools require school leaders with an open innovation mindset who foster a collaborative culture of knowledge exchange.

Explore How Transformational Leadership Styles Impact Educational Environments and Student

This study investigates the impact of transformational leadership on school climate and student outcomes using both correlational and regression analyses to assess the relationships between leadership behaviors and educational variables. The findings reveal that transformational leadership significantly enhances teacher collaboration (r = 0.65), inclusivity (r = 0.71), and innovation (r = 0.58), with leadership explaining up to 51% of the variance in inclusivity. Additionally, transformational leadership is positively correlated with student outcomes, including academic performance (r = 0.62) and student engagement (r = 0.62). Schools led by transformational leaders had higher mean scores in student academic performance, with an average test score of 85.50 compared to 78.00 in schools with other leadership styles. Statistical analyses such as ANOVA confirmed that these differences are statistically significant, showing that transformational leadership fosters a more collaborative, inclusive, and innovative school environment, which directly enhances student engagement and academic achievement. These results highlight the importance of transformational leadership in educational settings, particularly in shaping both teacher effectiveness and student success. The study concludes by recommending leadership development programs, collaboration initiatives, and regular leadership evaluations to ensure continuous improvement in school environments.

Developing A Mechanism to Drive Innovative School for Basic Education in Thailand

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors and key components that affecting an innovative school framework thus developed a mechanism to drive innovative school administration in basic education, Thailand. The researchers employed an exploratory research design using qualitative approaches, namely document analysis, structured face-to-face interviews, and focus group discussions. This study was conducted in three phases in three prototype primary schools. The researchers investigated the key components that affect innovative school administration based on documents such as policy documents, strategic plans, educational reports, case studies, academic articles, and administrative guidelines. This was followed by structured interviews with 11 experts to validate the key components and seven driving factors found in the first phase to form an innovative school framework. In the final phase, a total of 21 practitioners participated in three series of focus group discussions to develop a mechanism to drive the innovative school framework. The results from the first phase revealed that components that affect the drive towards innovative school administration can be promoted in three levels, namely individual, organizational, and policy levels. Then, the researchers used the results of the first phase to develop a mechanism to drive innovative school administration using the Supplier-Input-Process-Outputs-Customers Model after cross examined by 11 experts in the second phase. The ultimate results revealed that there are seven factors to drive the mechanism, namely challenging shared vision, innovative habits, innovative strategy, flexible culture and atmosphere, open communication, flexible organization structure, and innovator team.

An Investigation on Driving Factors of Innovative School Framework for Basic Education in Thailand: A Need Assessment

An Investigation on Driving Factors of Innovative School Framework for Basic Education in Thailand: A Need Assessment

A safe space and leadership matter for innovation: Exploring the role of psychological safety in the relationship between transformational leadership and innovation radicalness in Kyrgyz classrooms

The present research examines the relationship between school transformational leadership and innovation radicalness in classrooms with the moderating and mediating role of psychological safety, to provide an understanding of whether and to what extent the influence of leadership on innovation radicalness in teaching might be strengthened or weakened across various levels of psychological safety. Utilizing a dataset that included 5052 teachers working in 147 schools across Kyrgyzstan, we conducted multilevel analyses to test the proposed hypotheses. We found a positive association of transformational leadership with psychological safety and innovation radicalness in classrooms at the teacher level. Moreover, transformational leadership was more strongly related to radical innovation in schools with greater psychological safety among teachers both at the teacher and school levels. We conclude that school principals should prioritize the emotional state of teachers characterized by psychological safety by acting as transformational leaders, thereby enhancing the impact of their practices on the realization of higher innovation radicalness in the pedagogical practices of teachers.

Principals’ sense-making and sense-giving of their professional role tensions: School leaders’ professionalism and creative mediation strategies during Covid-19 crisis

School principals are located at the interface between competing demands by a wide spectrum of stakeholders leading to tensions and ambiguities in their role. Understanding principals’ role tensions within organizational and occupational professionalism during Covid-19 crisis is of considerable importance for improving the capacity of school leadership. This qualitative study examines Israeli principals’ considerations and creative mediation strategies while facing competing accountabilities via the theoretical framework of sense-making and sense-giving in times of crisis. Using a collective case study design, data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 16 elementary and high school principals and policy documents, and analyzed thematically via ATLAS.ti software. The analysis surfaced three strategies and two considerations: (1) school leaders’ sense-making processes yielding protective mediation strategies based on retaining moral discretion; and (2) school leaders’ sense-giving processes transferring collaborative and contrived mediation strategies based on establishing the school's moral-professional cultural orientation. The contribution of this study to the research literature suggests contrived mediation as an innovative school leaders’ strategy. We provide practical implications within training and professional development programs for school leaders advocating principalship mentoring valuing uniqueness to experienced and novice principals.

Educational Innovation at Assuniyyah Al Jauhari Kencong Jember Islamic Boarding School

The main aim of this research is to highlight two things related to educational innovation at the Assunniyyah Aljauhari Kencong Islamic Boarding School. The type of research is qualitative phenomenological using a phenomenological approach. Interview techniques with key informants were used as a data collection procedure. The findings of this research show that the innovations carried out at the Islamic boarding school include establishing a formal school, forming a special dormitory for tahfidzul Qur'an, and creating a special yellow book education. Supporting and inhibiting factors were found in the innovation process carried out. It was concluded that this was the basis for implementing educational innovation in the Islamic boarding school.

An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on Components and Indicators of Area-based Social Innovation for Small-sized Secondary Schools in Thailand

This study was designed to investigate the components and indicators of area-based social innovation for small-sized secondary schools in Thailand. A total of 400 school administrators and teachers from 200 small-sized secondary schools at northeastern region of Thailand participated in this study as respondents. The researchers employed a survey design using a questionnaire as a research instrument. They conceptualized social innovation for small-sized school’s components and indicators by analyzing documents and past studies to develop a social innovation model using exploratory factor analysis. The findings showed that a total of seven components and 14 indicators were identified from the measurement model. The seven components and 14 indicators were (i) community engagement and participation with two indicators namely stakeholder involvement and community needs assessment; (ii) inclusive and equitable education with two indicators, namely access and inclusion and support systems; (iii) collaborative partnerships with two indicators, namely local collaborations and inter-school networks; (iv) curriculum and pedagogical innovation with two indicators, namely relevant curriculum and innovative teaching methods; (v) capacity building and professional development with two indicators, namely teacher training and leadership development; (vi) sustainable practices with two indicators, namely environmental education and resource management, and (vii) monitoring and evaluation with two indicators, namely impact assessment and feedback mechanisms.

CYBERSPACE AS A PORTRAIT OF EDUCATION INOVATION FOR ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL IN THE SERAMBI MEKAH CITY WEST SUMATERA

Cyberspace is examined in this study as an example of innovation in Islamic boarding schools in Veranda of Mecca, Padang Panjang. This study is restricted to six Islamic Boarding Schools located in Padang Panjang: the Padang Panjang Putra Thawalib, the Muhammadiyah Kauman, the Veranda of Mecca Integrated Islamic Boarding School, the Thawalib Putri Islamic Boarding School, and the Puteri Diniyyah College. This study approach makes use of qualitative research, and approaches for observation, documenting, and interviewing are used to acquire data. The findings revealed that a number of Islamic boarding schools made use of cyberspace as a teaching innovation during the pandemic, including the usage of robotics, YouTube, WhatsApp, Zoom, and other social media platforms, in addition to using lab space as a resource for learning innovations. The less competent signal, the fact that some professors still do not grasp technology, and the insufficient internet allowance are some of the suggestions and difficulties that educators and students encounter. Furthermore, a lot of students still do not comprehend distance learning, and there is still a lack of student enthusiasm in studying remotely.

Analyze the Crisis of Students' Character Values and Innovative School Strategies in Overcoming the Challenge

The purpose of this research is to analyze the urgency of the need to implement character education,which is related to the deterioration of the character of the younger generation, including students. Thequalitative descriptive method is used for this research. Based on the results of observations conducted inDecember 2023 with 26 teachers who teach in various high schools in the Bandung area, Indonesia, the datashowed that 84% of teachers have unpleasant experiences dealing with students' lack of character values. Suchas individualism, low sense of social care, lack of environmental care, and low honesty, to severe cases such asbullying, getting pregnant outside of marriage, joining motorcycle gangs, consuming drugs, smoking, anddrinking alcohol. As many as 88.4% of teachers agree that the factors causing character changes in adolescents,including students, are currently heading in a negative direction, namely addiction to the use of gadgets andsocial media. Therefore, schools continuously strive for innovative programs that can build and strengthencharacter values in students. The innovative strategies include 73.1% implementing an integrated learningsystem of character values, and the rest of the teachers mentioned that the school seeks a special charactersubject program and a teacher training program in integrating character values into academic content. Thisstrategy will continue to grow as the level of teacher creativity in processing character value-based learningdevelops, so a wise and uninterrupted successor to the nation will be realized with technological advances.

The Effectiveness of Using SmartBoard Interactive Toward Learning Innovation in Schools

SmartBoard Interactive is a tool that combines touch and projection technology, allowing teachers and students to interact directly with learning content through touch screens. SmartBoard Interactive is an implementation of Smartclass. Smartclass is the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in education. The IoT is a network of physical objects connected to the Internet. This research aims to examine the effectiveness of using SmartBoard Interactive in improving learning innovation in schools. The research method is a survey that uses questionnaires. The respondents in this study were teachers and students at elementary, junior high, and high school levels who used SmartBoard Interactive in the daily learning process. The application of SmartBoard Interactive in Learning includes the use of an interactive whiteboard, multimedia, animation, video, and gamification. The results show that the use of SmartBoard Interactive has a positive impact on learning innovation. Teachers stated that it increased student engagement, improved learning motivation, and facilitated better concept understanding. A total of 96.9% of the students showed a positive response to the use of this technology, felt more motivated, and showed a significant improvement in learning outcomes. This research will encourage the wider application of this technology in educational contexts, with the aim of achieving more effective learning outcomes and enhancing students' learning experiences.

Radical pragmatism in school board governance

ABSTRACT Educational outcomes for Black & brown students are the result of well-functioning school systems overwrought with top-down bureaucracy that stifle school-based leaders from generating school-based solutions. The dominant explanation is the growing power and influence of politically-driven school board members cut off from local, national, and international best practices. Previous research has centered on the power of school boards and what can be done by school board officials with more power. The article explores the impact of school boards ceding power and giving more autonomy to school based leaders through three case studies. Findings indicate that the school districts making the greatest gains for Black & brown students are those that introduce innovation schools or schools that provide more autonomy in return for more accountability.

INNOVATIONS IN SCHOOL ROOM RESERVATION MANAGEMENT: TOWARDS SMART AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

Abstract The efficient management of school room reservations is crucial for maximizing resource utilization and ensuring smooth operations within educational institutions. Traditional room reservation systems often suffer from inefficiencies, leading to underutilization of spaces, scheduling conflicts, and increased administrative burden. This research paper explores the development and implementation of smart and sustainable solutions for school room reservation management. The suggested approach makes use of contemporary technologies to expedite the classroom reservation process, giving teachers, administrators, and students effective means of scheduling and overseeing room reservations. The technology has significantly improved classroom utilization rates and overall operational efficiency in our institution, according to preliminary tests. The school room reservation system provides a scalable solution for improving the management of educational facilities by lowering scheduling conflicts, minimizing downtime between courses, and enabling better resource allocation. Future improvements could incorporate support for mobile platforms, integrate with current school management systems, and introduce new capabilities in response to user feedback and changing needs. In general, the establishment of this school room reservation system is a step toward the modernization of facilities management procedures in academic establishments, which will ultimately lead to the creation of a more efficient and cooperative learning environment. Index Term : Frontend development HTML, CSS, React, Backend NodeJS, Express, MongoDB

Teacher Autonomy, Creative Self-efficacy, and Innovative Behavior: Perspectives from Chinese University EFL Teachers

Teachers’ innovative behavior contributes to students’ academic achievements, school innovation, and even the quality of education. This study aims to investigate the correlations between teacher autonomy, creative self-efficacy, and innovative behavior from the perspectives of Chinese university EFL teachers. The significance of the current study lies in exploring how different motivational mechanisms influence teachers’ innovative behavior, providing references for improving their teaching effectiveness and professional development. The main research question that guided this study was: What are the interrelationships between teacher autonomy, creative self-efficacy, and innovative behavior among EFL teachers? This study recruited 297 Chinese university EFL teachers as the sample, inviting them to fill in a self-reported questionnaire to assess teacher autonomy, creative self-efficacy, and innovative behavior. Results showed that teacher autonomy positively predicted teachers’ creative self-efficacy and innovative behavior; creative self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between teacher autonomy and innovative behavior. The findings suggest that education administrators should offer teachers autonomous support and tailored training programs to inspire their innovation. Additionally, teachers may work collaboratively with their colleagues and obtain peer support to execute innovative practices, which facilitates both students’ innovative performance and teachers’ professional development. Finally, as innovative behavior is complex and dynamic, future research may add other organizational and individual factors while considering cultural differences and institutional systems to explore teachers’ innovative behavior.