Bright Spots: Enablers and Constraints of Teacher-Led Innovation and Improvement Projects in Schools

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Collaborative Improvement and Leadership Practices

Abstract

There is a growing interest in teacher-led innovation and bottom-up improvement efforts in schools and a corresponding range of models that capture the design and improvement process of teacher innovation. To date, however, there has been limited empirical research exploring how these models operate in practice, the factors that contribute to their success, or their ultimate impact. This qualitative case-study utilizes an improvement science framework to investigate the enablers and constraints of a not-for-profit organization’s work with eight teacher-led innovation projects over a two-year period. The study identifies five key factors that are pivotal to the success of these projects and explores the implications of these factors for both theory-development and practical application of teacher-led innovation in schools.

Author

• Nina Hood, New Zealand