Innovating teaching and instruction in turbulent times: The dynamics of principals’ exploration and exploitation activities

Abstract

In turbulent environments, schools have to adapt to constantly changing conditions. According to ambidexterity theory, whether they are successful in this primarily depends on their leaders and how they manage the tension between the use of current knowledge (exploitation) and the search for new knowledge (exploration). Through unique top-down and bottom-up pathways, they thus influence the innovation outcome of a school. However, it is so far unclear whether these assumptions are correct. Using data from a panel of principals who are representative of Germany and were surveyed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we therefore investigate if and how school leaders adapted to the turbulent environment caused by the pandemic and evaluate the extent to which this had an impact on their schools’ innovations in teaching and instruction. The results demonstrate that principals’ exploration activities increased markedly during the pandemic, while their exploitation activities decreased noticeably. Further, a focus on the use and refinement of existing knowledge in comparatively predictable (pre-COVID-19) environments harmed principals’ readiness to explore new knowledge in increasingly uncertain environments. Nevertheless, exploitation had positive consequences for the innovativeness of schools, and exploration goes along with more radical innovations in teaching and instruction. Our research suggests that schools that innovatively addressed the COVID-19 pandemic had school leaders who were able to quickly shift between the two modes of exploitation and exploration. A capacity to transition seamlessly between these modes of thinking and working thus appears to be vital for the longevity of schools.

Decoding Employee ambidexterity: Understanding drivers, constraints, and performance implications for thriving in the evolving work landscapes - A scoping review

“…Similarly, Yap et al [ 43 ] reported improved organisational performance as a result of management's ambidexterity. Pietsch et al [ 44 ] observed that school leaders' exploitation and exploration activities contributed to better innovative performance. Finally, Luu et al [ 45 ] found that public employees' ambidexterity supports customer value co-creation.…”

“…Yap et al [ 43 ] found that perceived environmental dynamism is strongly and positively associated with employees' ambidexterity. Congruent with these arguments, Mom et al [ 35 ] and Pietsch et al [ 44 ] posited that highly uncertain work contexts enhance employees' ambidextrous behaviours. Moreover, organisations benefit from ambidextrous behaviours in dynamic work environments rather than in constant and specific work contexts [ 35 ].…”

Jewish and Arab teachers' views on school communications, innovation and commitment after COVID-19: sector of education as a moderator

“…However, the investigation of the impact of an innovative climate in schools has become especially important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rapid spread of COVID-19, teachers in schools are required to develop new teaching skills and facilitate meaningful learning experiences (Pietsch et al, 2023;R€ ohl et al, 2022).…”

“…Studies conducted during the COVID-19 crisis have highlighted the pivotal role of principals in driving innovation amidst uncertainty (Da'as et al, 2022;Pietsch et al, 2023). Schools that successfully combined the preservation and utilization of existing capabilities while exploring new ones were able to foster innovation (Beauchamp et al, 2021;Harris and Jones, 2020).…”

“…Studies conducted during the COVID-19 crisis have highlighted the pivotal role of principals in driving innovation amidst uncertainty (Da'as et al ., 2022; Pietsch et al. , 2023).…”