Innovation is possible, it’s just not easy

Abstract

This article reviews the literature and explores the institutional and systemic factors that help and/or hinder change and innovation across school systems, with a focus on evidence from England. A number of authors have argued that schools and school systems need to become more innovative and adaptive if they are to meet the needs of 21st-century societies and economies. Quasi-market models premised on school autonomy, parental choice and vertical accountability have been seen as the best way to secure innovation, but the evidence of success remains thin. The article analyses four examples of change and finds that system-wide change is possible, but requires strong and sustained political support and capacity building within a values-based framework that allows for local agency and adaptation. It concludes by drawing out three implications: the need to prioritise ‘professional’ as well as ‘structural’ autonomy; the potential for vertical accountability frameworks to condition the ways in which parents perceive and value innovation; and the need to enhance the legitimacy of innovation in the eyes of education’s key stakeholders.

The effects of distributed leadership and inquiry-based work on primary teachers’ capacity to change: testing a model

“…Teachers' sense of self-efficacy increases, they may be more satisfied in their job, and they tend to internalize school goals. In this sense, our current study extends work by Buske (2018), Greany (2018), andHulpia et al (2009) that suggests distributive leadership relates positively to teachers' collaboration, commitment, and sense of self-efficacy.…”

Cognitive Activity Of Students In The Circumstances Of The Educational Environment Informatization

“…Innovative processes in the education system are the subject of research by many domestic and international scientists (Greany, 2018;Klarin, 2017;Lee, Mak, & Burns, 2016;Slastenin & Podymova, 2007;Záhorec, Hašková, & Munk, 2019). Conclusions and recommendations of these authors are widely used in the educational process of educational institutions, including universities.…”

Career Trajectories of Deputy and Assistant Headteachers and Their Perceptions of Secondary Headship

“…And how will the Headteacher manage these continued demands of accountability on the school community? The combination of accountability and autonomy has created substantial challenges for school leadership (Ouston, et al, 1998;Glatter, 2012;Greany, 2016). Ouston, et al, (1998).…”