Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Innovation in education'

This thesis reports on organizational innovations which have been implemented in eleven teacher education institutions in the North West of England. Its purpose is to present a study of the character and relationship between the innovation phenomenon and environmental influences. Particular reference is made of the administrative structure in context. It was hypothesized that 1. organizational innovation will be extensively controlled if originally from outside the teacher education institution. If such innovation originates from within the institution it will be intensively controlled. 2. Organizational innovation will impact more intensively when under influence from outside the teacher education institution than if subjected to internal influence. 3. Organizational innovation will reveal intensive influence on the administrative structure if the climate within the teacher education institution is decisive. PROCEDURES An Innovation Evaluation Questionnaire (IEQ) developed by the researcher was used in conjunction with an Innovation Nature Measurement Instrument (INMI) to measure the data. The Staff Questionnaire and Interview Schedule were designed to collaborate the information with the Environmental Influence Measurement Instrument (EIMI). These instruments were used at various stages of a three-phased methodological configuration. A total of 71 administrative and managerial staff comprised the research sample in this study. Findings: The study revealed 1. a clear link between the innovation phenomenon and climatic conditions which existed within the administrative structure of teacher education. 2. The institutions have tended to be dominated by the external policies of change agents. In this connection the authority power of the DES appear to have been used to engender efficacy. 3. The study revealed a general trend to see organizational innovations as difficult to manage in the light of extensiv~ external control over them by change agents. CONCLUSIONS It was generally concluded that the character of organizational innovations is related to the level of administrative control ,subject to external dominance power and local managerial quality.

This project is an investigation of how the increased use of mobile devices and virtual media informs the pedagogy of higher education and how we can promote interaction across institutional and discipline boundaries.  Through research of how students learn, the conditions and dynamics that best allows them to absorb knowledge, I have concretized a plan of action for KTH that informs practice, leadership and the physical environment. Communication in Education Creates Innovation: The Innovation Center.
Detta projekt är en undersökning av hur den ökade användningen av mobila enheter och virtuella medier informerar pedagogik i de högre utbildningarna samt hur vi kan främja samarbete mellan institutionella och över disciplinära gränser. Genom forskning om hur studenter lär sig, den dynamik och under vilka förutsättningar som bäst tillåter studenter att ta till sig kunskap, har jag konkretiserat en handlingsplan för KTH som informerar praktik, ledarskap och den fysiska miljön.

Innovation in postsecondary education has become an important element of the landscape in order for institutions to remain competitive and, for some, as a means to survive (Selingo, 2013, p. 58). Small colleges and universities have experienced a more significant impact than most higher education institutions in attempting to remain competitive and promote innovation as they continue to deal with the aftermath of the 2001 and 2008 recessions and keep pace with the challenges of enrollment and finance. If small colleges are faced with the inability to create new and innovative delivery and business models, there is a danger that many of these small colleges will cease to exist (Crow, 2010; Rivard, 2013).

The primary purpose of this study was to explore how two small colleges adopted innovative strategies that maintained or improved their fiscal strength during a time when most small colleges were experiencing financial decline. How these innovative cultures have been supported at these small colleges, and their relation to the strategies employed, is also explored in this study. The overarching research question for this study was, “To what extent can small colleges develop a culture that supports innovation and positively influences the financial stability of the institutions?

The findings of this study include innovative strategies used at each institution to impact fiscal strength, and elements that have been established to support a culture of innovation in addition to the way in which innovation has improved the student experience. Ultimately, the examples of innovative strategies implemented at these institutions, such as responding to student and market demands, having an innovative mission and vision and ensuring innovative individuals are leading the institution, could turn into sustainable solutions for other small colleges that may be struggling with student enrollment and revenue decline. The elements of innovative cultures that were discovered in this study could be used as a “best practices” list for other small colleges in their quest to develop and sustain an innovative culture.

L'acumulació de capital humà i l'avenç tecnològic són uns dels principals motors del creixement econòmic. L'acumulació de capital humà genera creixement directament, ja que és un factor productiu. També contribueix a augmentar el progrés tecnològic i, per tant, augmentar la productivitat total dels factors, implicant una producció més eficient i un major creixement econòmic. A part de l'educació, el learning-by-doing (aprendre mitjançant la pràctica) també contribueix a l'acumulació de capital humà. De fet, l'aparició recent de la innovació oberta ha facilitat la difusió del coneixement i, per tant, ha promogut l'acumulació de capital humà. Aquesta tesi pretén analitzar com les polítiques públiques d'educació afecten l'acumulació de capital humà i com l'aparició dels béns oberts i la innovació oberta afecten a la competència en I+D i, per tant, al creixement econòmic. Al capítol 2, analitzem com, quan les persones s'han d'autofinançar la seva educació, les polítiques públiques (un fons públic de préstecs i la deduïbilitat diferida de les despeses d'educació) afecten al creixement en una economia de generacions successives on hi ha restriccions d'endeutament per a les persones. Mostrem que els préstecs públics afecten positivament al creixement de l'economia quan no hi ha restriccions d'endeutament, mentre que la deduïbilitat fiscal afecta al creixement depenent de la magnitud dels préstecs públics i de la deduïbilitat fiscal. Quan les persones tenen restriccions d'endeutament, els préstecs públics afecten positivament al creixement mentre que la deduïbilitat fiscal no afecta al creixement. Ambdues polítiques governamentals afecten a l’operativitat de la restricció d'endeutament i, per tant, poden canviar l'economia de no tenir restricció d'endeutament a sí tenir-ne, o viceversa. Al capítol 3, estudiem com els béns oberts afecten a l'economia a llarg termini. Modelitzem una economia amb béns oberts i privats on els individus han de destinar el seu temps a l'adquisició de capital humà, treballar al sector dels béns privats i desenvolupar béns oberts. Incorporem les característiques dels béns oberts al problema de maximització de l'individu i examinem com afecta al creixement econòmic la quantitat de temps que dediquen les persones a desenvolupar béns oberts en lloc de treballar al sector de béns privats o acumular capital humà. També examinem el problema del planificador social i la seva diferència amb l'assignació de mercat. El capítol 4 té com a objectiu estudiar com els diferents tipus d'activitats d'I+D (codi obert, imitació i I+D convencional) afecten a la innovació i, per tant, a l'economia a llarg termini. Modelitzem una economia amb béns estandarditzats i béns amb diferents nivells de qualitat on les persones tenen preferències no homotètiques i assignen el seu pressupost entre els béns estandarditzats i els béns amb diferents nivells de qualitat. Suposem un continu d'indústries amb un duopoli a cada indústria. Tant els líders de la indústria com els seguidors inverteixen en I+D. Els líders tecnològics inverteixen en I+D per obtenir més beneficis provinents de tenir més qualitat i per reduir el risc de ser copiats o superats pels seguidors o els nous entrants. Els seguidors inverteixen en I+D per aconseguir igualar la qualitat dels líders o per assolir el lideratge tecnològic. Incorporem les característiques de l'I+D convencional, la còpia i la innovació oberta en els problemes de maximització de les empreses que produeixen diferents nivells de qualitat i examinem com la innovació oberta afecta a les inversions en I+D de les empreses amb diferents nivells de qualitat i els seus efectes sobre el creixement econòmic.
La acumulación de capital humano y el avance tecnológico son importantes motores del crecimiento económico. La acumulación de capital humano puede generar directamente crecimiento al ser un factor productivo. A su vez, también puede contribuir a elevar el progreso tecnológico, mejorar la productividad total de los factores y, por lo tanto, permitir una producción más eficiente y así generar crecimiento económico. Aparte de la educación, el learning-by-doing (aprendizaje mediante la práctica) es otro factor importante en la acumulación de capital humano. De hecho, la reciente aparición de la innovación abierta ha facilitado el aumento de los intercambios de conocimiento y, por tanto, ha promovido la acumulación de capital humano. Junto con en análisis de cómo las políticas públicas educativas afectan la acumulación de capital humano, esta tesis tiene como objetivo estudiar cómo el surgimiento de bienes abiertos y la innovación abierta afectan la competencia en I+D y, por ende, el crecimiento económico. En el capítulo 2, analizamos cómo, cuando las personas se han de financiar la educación, las políticas públicas (un fondo público para préstamos y la deducción diferida de los gastos de educación) afectan el crecimiento en una economía de generaciones solapadas donde los individuos pueden tener restricciones de endeudamiento a la hora de decidir su inversión en capital humano. Mostramos que los préstamos públicos afectan positivamente al crecimiento económico cuando no hay restricciones de endeudamiento, mientras que la forma en que la desgravación fiscal afecta al crecimiento depende de la magnitud tanto de los préstamos públicos como de la desgravación fiscal. En una economía con restricciones de endeudamiento, los préstamos públicos afectan positivamente al crecimiento, mientras que la deducción de impuestos no afecta al crecimiento. Ambas políticas gubernamentales afectan a la operatividad de la restricción de endeudamiento y, por lo tanto, pueden hacer que la economía pase de estar bajo una restricción de endeudamiento a una que no, o viceversa. En el capítulo 3, estudiamos cómo los bienes abiertos afectan a la economía a largo plazo. Modelizamos una economía con bienes abiertos y privados donde los individuos deben dedicar su tiempo a la adquisición de capital humano, trabajar en el sector de bienes privados y desarrollar bienes abiertos. Examinamos cómo la cantidad de tiempo que las personas dedican a desarrollar bienes abiertos en lugar de trabajar en el sector de bienes privados o acumular capital humano afecta al crecimiento económico. También examinamos el problema del planificador social y su diferencia con la asignación del mercado. El capítulo 4 tiene como objetivo estudiar cómo los diferentes tipos de actividades de I+D (código abierto, imitación y I+D convencional) afectan a la innovación y la economía a largo plazo. Modelizamos una economía con bienes estandarizados y bienes con niveles de calidad diferente, donde las personas con preferencias no homotéticas tienen que destinar su presupuesto a bienes estandarizados y bienes con niveles de calidad diferente. Suponemos un continuo de industrias con un duopolio en cada industria. Los líderes tecnológicos invierten en I+D para obtener un mayor beneficio al vender productos de mayor calidad y, a la vez, para reducir el riesgo de ser copiados o superados por seguidores o nuevos participantes. Los seguidores invierten en I+D para alcanzar a los líderes o para obtener el liderazgo tecnológico. Incorporamos a las características del I+D convencional, la copia y la innovación abierta en los problemas de maximización de las empresas, donde suponemos que venden varios tipos de calidad a la vez. Nuestro objetivo es examinar cómo la innovación abierta afecta a las inversiones en I+D y, por ende, sus efectos sobre el crecimiento económico.
Human capital accumulation and technology advance are among the main engines of economic growth. Human capital accumulation can directly generate growth as it is a productive factor. It can also contribute to raising technical progress and technological progress, in turn, improves the total factor of productivity and hence allows for more efficient production and brings out economic growth. Apart from education, learning by doing also contributes to the accumulation of human capital. In fact, the recent emergence of open innovation has facilitated the increased flows of knowledge and, therefore, promoted the accumulation of human capital. Together with analyzing how public policies for education affect the accumulation of human capital, this thesis aims at studying how the emergence of open goods and open innovation affect R&D competition and, then, economic growth. In chapter 2, we analyze how public policies for self-financing education, public fund for loans and deferred deductibility of education expenses, affect growth in an overlapping generations economy where individuals can be borrowing-constrained on human capital investment. We show that public loans positively affect growth in the unconstrained economy, while how tax deductibility affects growth depends on the magnitude of both public loans and tax deductibility. In the borrowing-constrained economy, public loans positively affect growth, while tax deductibility does not affect growth. Both government policies affect the borrowing-constraint tightness and, therefore, can shift the economy from being borrowing-constrained to unconstrained or vice versa. In chapter 3, we study how open goods affect the economy in the long run. We model an economy with open and private goods where individuals have to allocate their time for human capital acquisition, working in the private goods sector and developing open goods. We incorporate the characteristics of open goods in the maximization problems and examine how the amount of time that individuals devote for developing open goods instead of working in the private goods sector or accumulating human capital affects economic growth. We also examine the social planner problem and its difference with the market allocation. Chapter 4 aims at studying how different types of R&D activities---open source, imitation and conventional R&D---affect innovation competition and, then, the economy in the long run. We model an economy with standardized goods and quality goods where individuals with non-homothetic preference have to allocate their budget for standardized goods and quality goods. There is a continuum of industries with duopoly production in each industry. Both industry leaders and followers invest in R&D. Technological leaders invest in R&D for higher profit of higher quality products and to reduce the risk of being copied or surpassed by followers or new entrants. Followers invests in R&D to catch up with the leaders or to gain the technological leadership. We incorporate the characteristics of conventional R&D, copying and open innovation in the maximization problems of multi-quality firms and aim at examining how open innovation affects R&D investments of firms with different technology levels and then its effects on economic growth.

A principal goal of higher education is to prepare students for the real-world challenges they will encounter upon graduation in their everyday life, in their work and in society. While discipline specific content knowledge is an important component of a college education, a 2010 survey of employers conducted for the Association of American Colleges and Universities reflected the changing expectations of employers for recent college graduates. Approximately ninety percent of employers surveyed said college graduates entering the workplace need a broader set of skills than in the past in order to meet increasingly complex workplace challenges. Among the top four workplace skills in demand are creativity and innovation.

This study employs a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine a particular curricular program designed to impart creativity and to promote the generation of new ideas that lead to innovation. Through the use of student surveys and in-depth interviews with students and faculty who have participated in the program, the study offers a synthesized description of the student experience of the curriculum and the pedagogies used in the program. The study identifies the key benefits of the program for students; offers guidance on what kind of pedagogical approaches are necessary for faculty to successfully implement this kind of program; and addresses the challenges involved in advancing a curriculum for creativity and innovation that utilizes unconventional pedagogies.

What seems clear from the student experience is that the curricular program is effective in imparting the knowledge and skills to practice creativity and innovation. Also evident is that the constructivist learning environment and the pedagogies employed in teaching the program, including hands-on and collective learning, critical thinking and problem-based learning, and formative assessment, contribute to a feeling of confidence in the mastery of the skills and results in deep learning by the students. Through the experience, students are empowered with a creative capacity and an ability to innovate, as well as with skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving. These are abilities that will prepare students for the complexities of rapidly changing world.

The 1990's in Victoria saw a political and economical shift away from the social justice themes of previous years to an economic rationalist approach to public sector services. Like other countries, educational reform initiatives focused on the introduction of market-oriented commercial practices. These were characterised by increased accountability for expenditure, pressure to supplement publicly funded income with commercial ventures, rationalisation of staff, privatisation of some services and a business-oriented approach to service provision. As part of this shift TAFE Institutes in Victoria were actively encouraged to embark on a business-based, entrepreneurial approach to training delivery in a competitive, user-choice market. This changing external environment is the context for this 'practitioner research' investigative project - the development of a motorsports program as a case study of innovation and entrepreneurship at Wodonga Institute of TAFE. A participant-observer research approach was applied to examine the perceptions of the stakeholders about the development of the program. Data was collected through semi-formal interviews with stakeholders, maintaining a reflective research journal and reviewing related literature. Analysis of the data identified emergent themes (enabling factors and barriers), reflecting at a micro level, similar themes and issues from current research and debate at national level. The themes are similarly reflected in literature on innovation, organisational change and entrepreneurship. The products generated from the investigative research project are:  Capturing Innovation: Entrepreneurial Activity Within a Publicly Funded Educational Organisation, an exegesis examining innovation and entrepreneurship at Wodonga Institute of TAFE through a case study (the motorsports program)  What a Great Idea! Where to From Here?, a set of guidelines for Wodonga Institute of TAFE practitioners about what is required in presenting their ideas to Senior Management (Appendix 1 and Appendix 2), and  a Professional development workshop agenda to support promotion of the guidelines (Appendix 2)  recommendations to Wodonga Institute of TAFE Directorate (Director/CEO and two Deputy Directors) for supporting the development of innovative ideas (Chapter 6). These outcomes aim to increase the success rate of innovative ideas being captured and developed into training programs and products at Wodonga Institute of TAFE.

Durante muchos años, las ciencias y las tecnologías han sido las principales protagonistas de la innovación. Sin embargo, últimamente, los negocios y la dirección empresarial han ido adquiriendo mayor importancia en los debates y estudios sobre la innovación (Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, 2009; Bloom, Dorgan, Dowdy, & Van Reenen, 2007; Camelo, Fernández, & Martínez, 2006; Carneiro, 2000; Giannopoulou, 2011; Catalin & Catalina, 2015). En este contexto, las escuelas de negocios – centros educativos responsables de educar a los gerentes en diferentes competencias – deben postularse como elemento catalizador para introducir, fomentar y acelerar el proceso de innovación en los estudiantes. Entre todos los programas orientados a la educación empresarial, el programa de posgrado más famoso y solicitado en las escuelas de negocios, Master en Dirección y Administración de Empresas (MBA), tiene el reto por delante de ser la formación profesional que fomente, alimente, y desarrolle en mayor medida el potencial innovador en los estudiantes. Como resultado, los alumnos de MBA podrán tener un mayor impacto en diferentes ámbitos de gestión dentro de sus puestos de responsabilidad empresarial, liderando el proceso de innovación directamente y aportación de valor. Esta tesis doctoral identifica las principales características de los programas de MBA diseñados para la innovación (a partir de resultados de estudios anteriores sobre la innovación empresarial y la educación empresarial), revisa diferentes metodologías de enseñanza actuales que ayudan a incrementar el potencial innovador, con el fin de diseñar un curso de MBA que mejore la capacidad innovadora de los estudiantes de MBA. El curso de MBA diseñado ha sido validado, ajustado metodológicamente para fomentar la innovación, y evaluado utilizando la metodología mixta con el enfoque principal en la investigación-acción participativa en una escuela de negocios real. La investigación llevada a cabo dentro del alcance de este estudio se caracteriza por las siguientes conclusiones principales: En primer lugar, el marco teórico arroja luz sobre el estado de la educación empresarial actual, especialmente, MBA, enfatiza la crítica que las escuelas de negocios están recibiendo hoy en día, y determina cómo las escuelas de negocios pueden aportar más valor a la sociedad a través de su compromiso con la innovación. En segundo lugar, se estableció el concepto de innovación en la educación empresarial a lo largo del proceso de investigación, así como la selección de las metodologías de enseñanza para fomentar la innovación. En último lugar, el curso de MBA diseñado y aplicado en este estudio resultó ser una intervención educativa eficaz para mejorar la capacidad innovadora de los estudiantes de MBA, pudiendo ser aplicado en programas de MBA de diferentes escuelas de negocios con el objetivo de promocionar la innovación y su efecto en la economía y la sociedad. Los resultados positivos obtenidos en este estudio significan que las escuelas de negocios pueden empezar a revisar sus objetivos y su visión en relación a cómo incorporar la innovación en sus programas y evaluar su contribución actual en la educación de los futuros líderes empresariales más innovadores.
For years, since the time the innovative capacity became the focus of attention, science and technology have been placed in the heart of it. However, more recently the calls to recognize that business and management are critical enablers of innovation have started taking place in the discussions on innovation (Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, 2009; Bloom, Dorgan, Dowdy, & Van Reenen, 2007; Camelo, Fernández, & Martínez, 2006; Carneiro, 2000; Giannopoulou, 2011; Catalin & Catalina, 2015). In this context, business schools – educational establishments responsible for educating competent managers – must be viewed as important, if not critical, to the innovation process. The most well-known graduate program of business schools – Masters of Business Administration (MBA) – has to become a kind of professional training that encourages, nurtures and develops innovation potential. This will directly impact the innovation process in the workplace by means of MBA graduates’ capacity to manage and articulate the process of innovation in their companies and organizations. This PhD Thesis puts together the results of previous studies on business innovation and management education and identifies the main features of MBA programs designed for innovation. Thereafter the teaching methodologies which help to increase the innovation potential are reviewed with the purpose to design a unique MBA course aiming to improve the innovation capacity of MBA students. The validated MBA study course methodologically adjusted to innovation is delivered in a business school within a real classroom setting and is assessed by applying a mixed methods research methodology with the main focus of the study being placed on participatory action research. The research conducted within the scope of this study is characterized by several main conclusions. First, the literature review conducted sheds light to the current state of management education, and particularly, MBA, emphasizing the criticism business schools face nowadays, and determines how business schools can bring more value to the society by engaging with innovation; Secondly, the concept of management education for innovation was established in the course of the research and the teaching methodologies which enhance innovation were selected; Thirdly, the MBA course designed and delivered in this study proved to be an effective educational intervention for improving the MBA students’ innovation capacity and can be applied in the future with the purpose to promote innovation and the effect innovation has on the economies and the societies. The positive results obtained in this study mean that today business schools can start to revisit their objectives and vision as they relate to innovation as well as to evaluate their ongoing and potential contribution to innovation with the purpose to educate more innovative business leaders.

The aim of this research is to explore the social mechanisms and processes of curriculum change in two secondary schools, an urban secondary modern and a rural high school. The implementation of the Geography for the Young School Leaver Project provided the initial impetus for the research but as the schools' response to innovation was explored, other Projects and school-based initiatives became an integral part of the study. A first assumption was that the teaching in any curriculum area is partly determined by the system characteristics or cultural norms of the school. The thesis examines the negotiations between the innovators and the various reality definers. Value conflicts which surround the idea of educational change are often treated superficially. This research examines some of the conflicts engendered by innovation at a personal and ideological level. The style of the research was in an anthropological and phenomenological mode. An open-ended illuminative stance allowed issues immediate to the life of the schools to be explored. The researcher adopted an observer role. In one school, the GYSL Project was seen as a pathfinder for curriculum development. For some staff in the other school, the Project was perceived as reactionary, resulting in a process/content debate becoming the central issue. The research indicated that while senior management within a school can encourage curricular initiatives and provide a supportive framework, micro-politics and above all the personal philosophy and values of teachers, are the major determinants of a school's response to change in the curriculum.

This overview provides a summary of research that explores factors that affect the learning experiences of accounting undergraduates in Higher Education. The submission is based on eleven outputs, the research for which and publication of which spans the period 1988-2007. The outputs relate to the theme of improving or enhancing student learning and encouraging students to "learn how to learn" and to become lifelong learners. It starts with an overview of my career as a teacher, educator, and researcher which traces how I have developed during my career from an untrained and generally clueless teacher to someone who was passionately interested in developing the abilities of my students and motivated in both my teaching and research to convert them into lifelong learners. This is followed by a discussion of each of the eleven publications included in this thesis. Beneath the umbrella of the overall theme of encouraging students to "learn how to learn", these publications are organised into two themes [The Use of IT in Teaching and Learning; and, Using Accounting History to Increase the Relevance of Topics to Students] and a number of sub-themes. Together, these publications represent significant contributions to knowledge. These include: • being the first author in accounting education to demonstrate that asking students to prepare flowcharts of the rules in rule-based topics such as accounting standards may improve their performance in assessments; • the first review of the use of IT in accounting education to focus upon the adoption of computer based instruction; • the first paper (and the only one that I am aware of) that considers whether or not using computer based instruction as an additional, non-integrated into the course resource is a worthwhile use of resources; • the first paper I am aware of that presented data that supported the view that computer based instruction could replace lecturers with no impact on performance of the students; • the first paper published to foresee the impact World Wide Web may have upon accounting education and research; • the first time I am aware of anyone presenting results of a teaching innovation that involved use of the web where students were successfully guided outside their comfort zones; • the first paper to ever present an overview of how the World Wide Web was being used globally in accounting and finance education; • the first paper I know of that presented a case study of learning and assessment that showed that student performance on objective tests had a strong positive correlation with their performance on traditional written examinations and demonstrated that objective tests could guide student learning to the extent that they appeared to have directly impacted students' deeper understanding of their subjects; • the first paper to use a modern day learning materials developmental model to demonstrate that the bookkeeping treatise of Luca Pacioli published in 1494 was as carefully written as today's textbooks. My contribution to knowledge is then summarised and the number of citations of each publication according to Google Advanced Scholar is given, including the date of the latest citation. This is then followed by a list of all my publications. Signed letters from my co-authors confirming my involvement in joint authored work are presented, followed by a list of the eleven publications included in the thesis. Finally, all eleven publications are presented.

The researcher examined nine areas of support that can be of assistance to sustaining innovative methodology in four school systems in Upper East Tennessee. Five types of innovation were examined. This study looked at nine supports as well as years of involvement by the practicing educator. The research design was a comparative study with forty hypotheses used to test differences in perceived degree of assistance to commitment. Teachers were surveyed and asked to rate supports for sustained innovation. Teachers also rated actual and ideal involvement. The research questions were tested and statistically analyzed using t-test and analysis of variance. Significant differences were found between demographic groups. Teachers sustaining child-centered instruction rated seven of the nine areas of support significantly higher than peer teachers. The methodology of student assessment had five areas of support rated significantly higher, alternative scheduling had two areas of support rated significantly higher, and the thematic approach had one area. Training/conference/workshops was the only area of support that had a significant difference common to all four of these methodologies. Recommendations for further research were made to augment the study.

In this thesis, I discuss the emergence of the “non-traditional” post -secondary student and what is necessary to both narrow the socioeconomic education gap and make higher education more efficient for the vast majority of Americans. l explain how the current conglomeration of laws, regulations and proposed regulations stifle innovation and inhibit the achievement of a high Education Return On Investment. I discuss changes that are on the horizon and borrow from the success of certain innovations. In the final section, I suggest and review potential frameworks for education innovation and funding that can make a difference. I propose a better measure of program-level success by using the following formula: EDUCATION ROI = (Increased Earnings + Increased Economic Productivity + lower healthcare, unemployment, and other related costs) / (Federal + State + Student Expenditures) To arrive at this formula and evaluate current institutions, I look at the total costs to attend these schools, the cost per degree, and the cost per taxpayer. I look at earnings data for different periods after graduation as well as the levels of debt and interest payments students accumulate during this time. The results show that currently, for-profit institutions are much cheaper per degree to the student (long term) and taxpayer due to superior graduation rates, higher earnings data, and better job placement and therefore provide a higher Education ROI. These schools are also the most active in the education space in creating innovative new ideas to increase the “Return” while decreasing the “Investment” and at the same time increasing accessibility to a larger group of students. Using this measure to evaluate our schools may result in a more efficient appropriation of federal funds to the schools that are achieving a better Education ROI, an increase in the exponentially growing skilled labor market, and several other positive externalities positively correlated with education such as health, reduced crime, and a general increase in value to society.

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2015.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 69-76).
Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur are not gender-neutral concepts.[1] In the United States, men are twice as likely to be involved in entrepreneurship than women. Women have founded or led only 11% of venture capital backed US firms. Moreover, women-led firms have received only 7% of venture capital.[2] Clearly, there is a serious dearth of women in entrepreneurship. Research has shown that education can have an impact on gender segregation of aspirations, and that it acts as a barrier for women to move into historically male-dominated roles with higher earning potential. In higher education, gender segregation results in a variety of disciplines including entrepreneurship.[3] In this thesis, we examine the problem and recommend solutions to improve entrepreneurship and innovation education and entrepreneurial opportunities for women. We look at Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) programs focused on increasing participation of women in STEM and map them to entrepreneurship. Furthermore, we discuss the programs and resources available to women entrepreneurs. We recommend designing new programs and investing in resources for women innovators and entrepreneurs.
by Esha T. Sahai.
S.M. in Engineering and Management

Neue Verfahren, neue Organisationen oder neue Formen des Denkens sind alles Arten der Innovation. Trotz einer beschleunigten Verstärkung des Aufwands für Bildung in Brasilien startend in 2005 sind soziale Innovationen nur in Form von Bildungsinitiativen von kommunitären und Nichtregierungs-Organisationen (NGO) weit über das Land verteilt. In dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, inwieweit Bildungsinnovationen in Brasilien auf diese Vernachlässigung durch den Staat reagieren und welche Akteure Innovationen auf lokaler Ebene unterstützen. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wird dabei der Rolle der Lehrer in Sozialinnovationen gewidmet. Durch einen historischem Ansatz wird in dieser Arbeit die Beziehung von Sozialinnovationen und großen radikalen Umbrüchen, Sozialbewegungen und Reformen in Brasilien beobachtet. Durch Nutzung von Interviews und Fokusgruppen werden zwei Fallstudien in São Paulo analysiert: eine an einer Schule am Stadtrand und eine in einer NGO im Stadtzentrum. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass durch Innovationen neue Regeln und Verfahren eingeführt werden, die ein Subystem erzeugen, das die lokalen Machtverhältnisse verändert. Die NGO hat neue Verbindungen zwischen Schulen, privaten Akteuren, NGOs und der Kommunalverwaltung hergestellt und mit sozialen Netzwerken basierend auf Bildung und Kunst gearbeitet. die Schule hat ein neues Modell eingeführt bei dem Schule und Gemeinschaft zusammen die gemeinsamen Probleme von Unsicherheit und Bildung lösen. Sozialinnovationen umfassen die dringendsten Probleme in einer Gemeinschaft, die nicht auf ein Feld beschränkt sein müssen. Diese Forschung trägt zum besseren Verständnis von Sozialinnovationen, mit Fokus auf Brasilien, in den Sozialwissenschaften und in der Politikwissenschaft bei.
New methods, new organizations or new forms of thinking are all forms of innovation. Despite the increased spending on education in Brazil from 2005 onwards, social innovations have only spread in the country in the form of community participation and non-governmental organization’s initiatives for education. This study investigates to what extent innovations in education in Brazil respond to omissions on the part of the state and the drivers that foster innovation at a local level. Particular attention is devoted to the role of teachers in social innovation. Through a historical approach this study observes the relationship between social innovation and major radical changes, social movements and reforms in Brazil. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and focus groups, two case studies in São Paulo were analysed: one in a school in the urban periphery of the city and an NGO in the city centre. The findings suggest that innovations introduce new rules and practices, creating a subsystem which modifies local relations of power. The NGO established new relations between schools, private actors, NGOs and local government and worked with social networks through education and art. The school implemented a new model that brought the school and community together to solve common problems of insecurity and education. Social innovations embrace the most urgent needs in a community, which are not limited to one field. This research contributes to sociology and political science for a better understanding of social innovations and community participation, specifically in the Brazilian context.

In the past two decades, there has been an increased demand for more innovative individuals and organizations. In response to this need, a number of groups have begun to teach innovation courses to improve people's innovation skills. While many of these groups report success in helping people become more innovative, there is no way to test the effectiveness of the innovation courses. This study describes the development and initial validation of an innovation test instrument. It demonstrates how the author identified the content domain of the test and created test items. Then it describes initial validation testing of the instrument. This study found that this assessment is a good first step in creating an innovation assessment that covers more of the full process of innovation than previous tests. It still needs further validation and improvement to make strong claims about its ability to determine the effectiveness of an innovation course.

E-Learning perhaps is the exciting topic related to higher education in the current decade. Large numbers of researchers devote their enthusiasm to this area. The early days of E-Learning were product-driven, and the dialogue about E-Learning took place primarily among vendors who were heavily funded by investment capital. Most of the E-Learning vendors promoted their technology, but less attention was paid to the issues surrounding implementation or to the usage of E-Learning by the end users. However, the behaviour of end users or of the organizations which had introduced E-Learning should be the main concern of an innovation in the management process. Included in an entire E-Learning development strategy should be a detailed analysis and action plan to obtain a comprehensive overview of three aspects of innovation processes: organizational, technological, and products/services. A successful E-Learning launch should also pay close consideration to all of the interactions during the triple innovation process, a proposal which will be addressed in this research. Given the multiple objectives of investigating the processes of E-Learning innovation, the interaction between different aspects of innovation and the issues which influence those processes, a qualitative case study approach is appropriate for establishing empirical evidence and describing the phenomenon of the E-Learning innovation process in higher education. The fieldwork started in March 2004 and finished in August 2008. It comprised one pilot study at National Chung Cheng University Taiwan, and the main research context at the University of Nottingham. The data collected were used to analyse and conceptualise the E-Learning innovation process with three sub-processes, outlined in detail in a following subsection: research methodology and design. This research contributes to the understanding of E-Learning innovation processes by providing triple aspects of organizational, technological and service innovation individually, and maps the E-Learning innovation processes in its different aspects. The relationships and interactions in the E-Learning innovation process within organizational, technological and service innovation are conceptualized in order to explain their complexity, and they also summarized the main interaction categories for different interactions. The series of detailed analyses indicates that organizational, technological and service innovations are inseparable and show a strong link with one another. Moreover, a framework of simplified triple E-Learning innovation with triple interactions is proposed.

The promotion of innovation is a theme that is commonly found in many Labour Government policies and publications since 1997, especially in education. However, in practice, innovation is often difficult to define and can be challenging to implement. Since April 2000, small (Excellence in Cities) Education Action Zones have been developed as one strand of the Government's 'Excellence in Cities' (EiC) programme to raise standards of education in deprived urban areas of England. The whole Education Action Zone initiative (both large and small) has been promoted by the Government as a test-bed for innovation in order to improve educational standards. This study reviews the development of the Education Action Zone initiative and through an empirical study, investigates the impact that the introduction of small (EiC) Education Action Zones has had on stimulating educational innovation in zone schools in the inner city areas of England. The study considers how the directors of the small zones have interpreted the meaning of innovation, the types of innovation that have been implemented in the zones and the impact that these innovations have had on improving education provision in the zone schools, as well as the barriers and constraints that the directors have experienced when introducing innovations. The key findings from this study indicate that there is uncertainty about the meaning of innovation amongst zone directors, especially whether innovations have to be original ideas or just new within the context of their zone. The impact of the innovations that have been implemented so far is difficult to assess, due to the short timescales involved and the wide variety of innovations introduced. The innovations that have been introduced into the zones, mainly in the areas of pupil support, partnerships, curriculum, ICT and involving the wider community, have been new to the individual zones rather than 'new' per se. The zone directors do appear to have overcome many of the barriers and constraints that they have encountered when implementing innovations in the zones, resulting in thriving active partnerships developing between zone schools which should have positive outcomes for raising achievement in the future.

The call to innovate is ubiquitous across the Australian educational policy context. The claims of innovative practices and environments that occur frequently in university mission statements, strategic plans and marketing literature suggest that this exhortation to innovate appears to have been taken up enthusiastically by the university sector. Throughout the history of universities, a range of reported deficiencies of higher education have worked to produce a notion of crisis. At present, it would seem that innovation is positioned as the solution to the notion of crisis. This thesis is an inquiry into how the insistence on innovation works to both enable and constrain teaching and learning practices in Australian universities. Alongside the interplay between innovation and crisis is the link between resistance and innovation, a link which remains largely unproblematized in the scholarly literature. This thesis works to locate and unsettle understandings of a relationship between innovation and Australian higher education. The aim of this inquiry is to generate new understandings of what counts as innovation within this context and how innovation is enacted. The thesis draws on a number of postmodernist theorists, whose works have informed firstly the research method, and then the analysis and findings. Firstly, there is an assumption that power is capillary and works through discourse to enact power relations which shape certain truths (Foucault, 1990). Secondly, this research scrutinised language practices which frame the capacity for individuals to act, alongside the language practices which encourage an individual to adopt certain attitudes and actions as one’s own (Foucault, 1988). Thirdly, innovation talk is read in this thesis as an example of needs talk, that is, as a medium through which what is considered domestic, political or economic is made and contested (Fraser, 1989). Fourthly, relationships between and within discourses were identified and analysed beyond cause and effect descriptions, and more productively considered to be in a constant state of becoming (Deleuze, 1987). Finally, the use of ironic research methods assisted in producing alternate configurations of innovation talk which are useful and new (Rorty, 1989). The theoretical assumptions which underpin this thesis inform a document analysis methodology, used to examine how certain texts work to shape the ways in which innovation is constructed. The data consisted of three Federal higher education funding policies selected on the rationale that these documents, as opposed to state or locally based policy and legislation, represent the only shared policy context for all Australian universities. The analysis first provided a modernist reading of the three documents, and this was followed by postmodernist readings of these same policy documents. The modernist reading worked to locate and describe the current truths about innovation. The historical context in which the policy was produced as well as the textual features of the document itself were important to this reading. In the first modernist reading, the binaries involved in producing proper and improper notions of innovation were described and analysed. In the process of the modernist analysis and the subsequent location of binary organisation, a number of conceptual collisions were identified, and these sites of struggle were revisited, through the application of a postmodernist reading. By applying the theories of Rorty (1989) and Fraser (1989) it became possible to not treat these sites as contradictory and requiring resolution, but rather as spaces in which binary tensions are necessary and productive. This postmodernist reading constructed new spaces for refusing and resisting dominant discourses of innovation which value only certain kinds of teaching and learning practices. By exploring a number of ironic language practices found within the policies, this thesis proposes an alternative way of thinking about what counts as innovation and how it happens. The new readings of innovation made possible through the work of this thesis were in response to a suite of enduring, inter-related questions – what counts as innovation?, who or what supports innovation?, how does innovation occur?, and who are the innovators?. The truths presented in response to these questions were treated as the language practices which constitute a dominant discourse of innovation talk. The collisions that occur within these truths were the contested sites which were of most interest for the analysis. The thesis concludes by presenting a theoretical blueprint which works to shift the boundaries of what counts as innovation and how it happens in a manner which is productive, inclusive and powerful. This blueprint forms the foundation upon which a number of recommendations are made for both my own professional practice and broader contexts. In keeping with the conceptual tone of this study, these recommendations are a suite of new questions which focus attention on the boundaries of innovation talk as an attempt to re-configure what is valued about teaching and learning at university.

The American public’s interests are well-served by a strong, effective postsecondary education system. And yet the industry’s predominant learning and service paradigm, one that credentials learning by measuring student’s time on task and that treats all learners largely the same from a pacing and a requirements perspective is inconsistent with the realities, circumstances, and expectations of 21st century students. Competency-based education, with its emphasis on the attainment of mastery through the measurement of learning, not time, and its focus on operational efficiency and effectiveness, has the potential to evolve and shape the postsecondary education industry by introducing simplicity, convenience, accessibility, and affordability where complication and high cost are the status quo.

The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory study was to understand and describe the competency-based education practices of American higher education institutions within the context of Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation. The practices and programs of eight institutions that offer accredited, competency-based certificate and degree programs were examined. An exploratory, qualitative review of publically available artifacts that describe the competency-based approaches employed by these eight institutions provided the primary data for this study. Prominent industry reports on competency-based education published from September 2014 through January 2016 were examined and are described. The researcher ’s professional responsibilities and observations while engaged in the design and delivery of competency-based programming also informed this study.

Specific characteristics, practices, and two distinct methods for the delivery of competency-based education were identified and are described. Consistent mission, tuition, and student demographic realities were found to exist among the examined institutions and are discussed. Variable findings related to program design practices, the nature of assessment, the role of faculty, and provider-specific outcomes emerged and are also presented. The current state of the practice was found to be consistent with Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation. The practice was further found to be workforce aligned but only minimally deployed within the postsecondary education industry. Characteristics of examined programs were found to be non-distinct. Program evaluation criteria and outcomes were determined to be unclear at this time.

Situated within the belief that faculty development is a key institutional mechanism through which colleges and universities will be able to meet emerging social, cultural, and technological challenges in the coming years, this study sought to better understand the underlying psychological processes that facilitate the adoption of innovations by teaching faculty and GTAs in higher education. Specifically, three types of self-efficacy (college teaching, teaching with technology, and general) were considered in light of demographic variables and Rogersâ model of the innovation-decision process. Most significant among the findings were that women have significantly higher college teaching self-efficacy and general self-efficacy than men; however, men have higher teaching with technology self-efficacy. Those in their forties, fifties and sixties have higher college teaching self-efficacy than those in their twenties. Full-time instructors have higher college teaching self-efficacy than doctoral GTAs and assistant professors. Those who rate themselves as having higher computer skills also have higher teaching with technology self-efficacy. When considering teaching with technology self-efficacy and instructional technology-based innovation-decision stage, it was found that this type of self-efficacy differs significantly between most stages and consistently increases from the knowledge stage through the confirmation stage.
Ph. D.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of principals whose schools were granted innovation status in accordance with the Colorado Innovation Schools Act of 2008 (CISA). The CISA created a statewide system that allowed individual schools and entire districts to increase autonomy and flexibility in areas such as staffing, scheduling, educational programming, and resource allocation.

The data were collected from interviews with principals and a rural superintendent and from an examination of the School Innovation Plans. Data were refined into common themes, and a rich narrative was created. The conclusions indicated that successful principals of innovation schools understand the change process, focus on instructional leadership, promote a positive school culture, require autonomy, implement exemplary leadership strategies and qualities, and tailor innovation plans to the needs of the school. The conclusions also indicated that successful superintendents tailor innovation plans to the needs of the district.

This research is important because education reform in the United States is in need of school reform models that result in increased academic achievement. The implications for positive change are that schools given the autonomy and flexibility to operate may have the potential to increase academic achievement. In addition, the CISA model has the potential to be replicated for application in other states. The experiences and perceptions of principals of innovation schools provided a window into the leadership role principals have in implementing the Colorado Innovations Schools Act of 2008.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 280-295).
This study constructs an account of teachers' recontextualizations of the 'problem solving approach', a pedagogic approach prescribed for teaching primary school science by Uganda's official curriculum. It describes how sixteen teachers, located in eight primary schools, interpret and enact the pedagogic prescriptions of the problem solving approach. The study further explores the extent to which school contexts in which the teachers work influence their recontextualizing processes. The conceptual and analytical framework for the study draws on Basil Bernstein's theory of pedagogic discourse, extended with concepts from Paul Dowling's social activity.

This multiple case study examined one start-up and one conversion charter school in California. Eighty hours of classroom observations and thirteen teacher interviews were the basis for this descriptive comparative study. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) Do classrooms and school structures in these two charter schools appear different than traditional public schools; (2) Have teachers' methodologies changed since coming to teach at the charter school; (3) What are the similarities and differences between these two charter schools; and (4) Has teachers' autonomy changed since coming to a charter school? This study found that in comparison to teachers' previous position, (1) Teachers had not changed how they taught; and (2) Most teachers had the same amount of classroom autonomy. Additionally: (3) Teachers felt their primary motivation for innovating within their classroom was themselves, their time, and their energy; (4) Teachers did not think teaching in a charter school affected their innovativeness; (5) Teachers did not mention autonomy as a factor influencing their classroom innovativeness; (6) Teachers believed they had more autonomy regarding hiring and budgeting decisions; (7) There were no significant differences in the innovativeness between the teachers of the start-up or conversion schools; the conversion school had the most and the least innovative teachers; (8) The start-up charter school was slightly more innovative overall than the conversion charter school; (9) The two charter schools had more in common than they had differences; (10) New consensus-based, teacher-led decision-making at both schools intensified the micro-politics and burdens placed upon teachers' time, impacting their classroom performance. Unique to the start-up: (11) New operational paradigms required teachers to take on additional support services resulting in less planning time, teachers' feeling overwhelmed, and concern with keeping staff; (12) Parents and students influenced teachers to change back to less innovative practices; and (13) A small campus, faculty, and number of students appeared to create a family-like atmosphere. Based on the findings of this study, two underpinnings of the charter school movement, creating innovative classrooms and increasing teacher autonomy behind the classroom doors were problematic at these charter schools.

Disruptive Innovation theory explains how industry entrants can defeat established firms and quickly gain a significant share of their key markets, in spite of the fact that incumbents tend to be significantly more experienced and better resourced. The theory has been criticized for being underspecified: whilst the general mechanics of the phenomenon of disruptive innovation are clear, it has not been established which individual variables are essential to the process and which ones are merely ancillary. As a consequence, to date it has not been possible to build a predictive model on the basis of the theory managers can use to assess the disruptive potential of their own and their competitors' innovation projects. In this research project the predictive power of each of the main variables that are mentioned in the literature has been assessed on the basis of a qualitative analysis of five real world case studies. Only variables for which information can be collected using publicly available data before disruption happens have been retained. By clarifying the detail of disruptive innovation theory, this study has been able to address a key issue in the debate, namely, whether products that are more expensive and more complex than the market standard can ever be classified as 'disruptive innovations' or whether they should always be regarded as 'high-end anomalies'. In this study two distinct disruptive innovation strategies have been identified based on the current phase of the product life cycle, the current focus of mainstream demand and the market segments first targeted when coming to market. The first strategy entails growing an existing market by moving the focus of demand on to a secondary market driver as soon as customers begin to lose their willingness to pay a premium for upgrades in the performance areas they historically used to value. Early on in the product life cycle, disruptors can conquer the mainstream market 'from above' with products that are different and more reliable or more convenient but not simpler or cheaper. The second strategy creates a new separate market by offering a radically new type of additional functionality. Over time the new market replaces the old market. These products are likely to be expensive because of their small production run and difficult to use because they are the first models of their kind. High-end customers constitute a natural foothold market for these products as they are wealthy and highly skilled.

Entrepreneurship is key to growing and uplifting emerging economies like South Africa. There exists an extremely high failure rate amongst entrepreneurs in this country, this coupled with a lack of support for entrepreneurs, creates the conditions where an entrepreneurial culture cannot thrive. Entrepreneurship and education can be South Africa's most significant tools of liberation and unlock exponential growth which can, in turn, address the socio-economic problems that exist. This research aims to understand what the critical educational and support elements are that drive entrepreneurial learning and development. This research aims to discover what is required to create meaningful learning experiences for entrepreneurs and how this learning can be turned to practice and drive entrepreneurial growth. This growth may play a key role in addressing some of the gaps that exist between South Africa's entrepreneurial potential and its current state. Online and virtual education technologies, pedagogies and methodologies are explored as the core proponents of these learning experiences. Different models are explored and analysed in their distinct contexts to discover what it takes to create these learning experiences. New models of entrepreneur education and the supporting technology are examined to help understand how entrepreneur education programmes can create meaningful learning and development that produces and support high potential entrepreneurs. The research primarily explores an innovative model of an online entrepreneurship education offering that attempts to exponentially improve the impact of traditional models. An adapted design thinking methodology is applied; this allowed the study to examine various models and phenomena through a hyper-practical lens. This methodology supported the research process in uncovering what challenges exist for an education model of this nature to develop meaningful learning and development opportunities for entrepreneurs. 5 The impact of this research could be widespread in assisting with the understanding of how entrepreneurs learn and apply knowledge. The literature reviewed aimed to provide a view of what trends exist in social entrepreneurship globally and South Africa, and how these trends link to meaningful entrepreneurial learning and practice. This research is unique in that it takes a nascent concept such as virtual ecosystems in the social entrepreneurial context and explores how a model in which deep learning experiences are present for entrepreneurs, affects meaningful development and entrepreneurial outcomes. This research focuses on building theory through qualitative data sources collected through the research instruments of interviews, questionnaires, observations, discussions and practical prototyping.

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(地球環境学)
甲第13423号
地環博第34号
新制||地環||6(附属図書館)
UT51-2007-Q824
京都大学大学院地球環境学舎地球環境学専攻
(主査)准教授 ショウ ラジブ, 教授 嘉門 雅史, 教授 小林 正美, 教授 岡田 憲夫
学位規則第4条第1項該当

This thesis is a work-in-progress that articulates my research journey based on the development of a curriculum innovation in environmental education. This journey had two distinct, but intertwined phases: action research based fieldwork, conducted collaboratively, to create a whole school approach to environmental education curriculum planning; and a phase of analysis and reflection based on the emerging findings, as I sought to create personal "living educational theory" about change and innovation. A key stimulus for the study was the perceived theory-practice gap in environmental education, which is often presented in the literature as a criticism of teachers for failing to achieve the values and action objectives of critical environmental education. Hence, many programs and projects are considered to be superficial and inconsequential in terms of their ability to seriously address environmental issues. The intention of this study was to work with teachers in a project that would be an exemplar of critical environmental education. This would be in the form of a whole school "learnscaping" curriculum in a primary school whereby the schoolgrounds would be utilised for interdisciplinary critical environment education. Parallel with the three cycles of action research in this project, my research objectives were to identify and comment upon the factors that influence the generation of successful educational innovation. It was anticipated that the project would be a collaboration involving me, as researcher-facilitator, and many of the teachers in the school as active participants. As the project proceeded through its action cycles, however, it became obvious that the goal of developing a critical environmental education curriculum, and the use of highly participatory processes, were unrealistic. Institutional and organisational rigidities in education generally, teachers' day-to-day work demands, and the constant juggle of work, family and other responsibilities for all participants acted as significant constraints. Consequently, it became apparent that the learnscaping curriculum would not be the hoped-for exemplar. Progress was slow and, at times, the project was in danger of stalling permanently. While the curriculum had some elements of critical environmental education, these were minor and not well spread throughout the school. Overall, the outcome seemed best described as a "small win"; perhaps just another example of the theory-practice gap that I had hoped this project would bridge. Towards the project's end, however, my continuing reflection led to an exploration of chaos/complexity theory which gave new meaning to the concept of a "small win". According to this theory, change is not the product of linear processes applied methodically in purposeful and diligent ways, but emerges from serendipitous events that cannot be planned for, or forecast in advance. When this perspective of change is applied to human organisations - in this study, a busy school - the context for change is recognised not as a stable, predictable environment, but as a highly complex system where change happens all the time, cannot be controlled, and no one can be really sure where the impacts might lead. This so-called "butterfly effect" is a central idea of this theory where small changes or modifications are created - the effects of which are difficult to know, let alone determine - and which can have large-scale impacts. Allied with this effect is the belief that long term developments in an organisation that takes complexity into account, emerge by spontaneous self-organising evolution, requiring political interaction and learning in groups, rather than systematic progress towards predetermined goals or "visions". Hence, because change itself and the contexts of change are recognised as complex, chaos/complexity theory suggests that change is more likely to be slow and evolutionary - cultural change - rather than fast and revolutionary where the old is quickly ushered out by radical reforms and replaced by new structures and processes. Slow, small-scale changes are "normal", from a complexity viewpoint, while rapid, wholesale change is both unlikely and unrealistic. Therefore, the frustratingly slow, small-scale, imperfect educational changes that teachers create - including environmental education initiatives - should be seen for what they really are. They should be recognised as successful changes, the impacts of which cannot be known, but which have the potential to magnify into large-scale changes into the future. Rather than being regarded as failures for not meeting critical education criteria, "small wins" should be cause for celebration and support. The intertwined phases of collaborative action research and individual researcher reflection are mirrored in the thesis structure. The first three chapters, respectively, provide the thesis overview, the literature underpinning the study's central concern, and the research methodology. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 report on each of the three action research cycles of the study, namely Laying the Groundwork, Down to Work!, and The Never-ending Story. Each of these chapters presents a narrative of events, a literature review specific to developments in the cycle, and analysis and critique of the events, processes and outcomes of each cycle. Chapter 7 provides a synthesis of the whole of the study, outlining my interim propositions about facilitating curriculum change in schools through action research, and the implications of these for environmental education.

This thesis is a work-in-progress that articulates my research journey based on the development of a curriculum innovation in environmental education. This journey had two distinct, but intertwined phases: action research based fieldwork, conducted collaboratively, to create a whole school approach to environmental education curriculum planning; and a phase of analysis and reflection based on the emerging findings, as I sought to create personal "living educational theory" about change and innovation. A key stimulus for the study was the perceived theory-practice gap in environmental education, which is often presented in the literature as a criticism of teachers for failing to achieve the values and action objectives of critical environmental education. Hence, many programs and projects are considered to be superficial and inconsequential in terms of their ability to seriously address environmental issues. The intention of this study was to work with teachers in a project that would be an exemplar of critical environmental education. This would be in the form of a whole school "learnscaping" curriculum in a primary school whereby the schoolgrounds would be utilised for interdisciplinary critical environment education. Parallel with the three cycles of action research in this project, my research objectives were to identify and comment upon the factors that influence the generation of successful educational innovation. It was anticipated that the project would be a collaboration involving me, as researcher-facilitator, and many of the teachers in the school as active participants. As the project proceeded through its action cycles, however, it became obvious that the goal of developing a critical environmental education curriculum, and the use of highly participatory processes, were unrealistic. Institutional and organisational rigidities in education generally, teachers' day-to-day work demands, and the constant juggle of work, family and other responsibilities for all participants acted as significant constraints. Consequently, it became apparent that the learnscaping curriculum would not be the hoped-for exemplar. Progress was slow and, at times, the project was in danger of stalling permanently. While the curriculum had some elements of critical environmental education, these were minor and not well spread throughout the school. Overall, the outcome seemed best described as a "small win"; perhaps just another example of the theory-practice gap that I had hoped this project would bridge. Towards the project's end, however, my continuing reflection led to an exploration of chaos/complexity theory which gave new meaning to the concept of a "small win". According to this theory, change is not the product of linear processes applied methodically in purposeful and diligent ways, but emerges from serendipitous events that cannot be planned for, or forecast in advance. When this perspective of change is applied to human organisations - in this study, a busy school - the context for change is recognised not as a stable, predictable environment, but as a highly complex system where change happens all the time, cannot be controlled, and no one can be really sure where the impacts might lead. This so-called "butterfly effect" is a central idea of this theory where small changes or modifications are created - the effects of which are difficult to know, let alone determine - and which can have large-scale impacts. Allied with this effect is the belief that long term developments in an organisation that takes complexity into account, emerge by spontaneous self-organising evolution, requiring political interaction and learning in groups, rather than systematic progress towards predetermined goals or "visions". Hence, because change itself and the contexts of change are recognised as complex, chaos/complexity theory suggests that change is more likely to be slow and evolutionary - cultural change - rather than fast and revolutionary where the old is quickly ushered out by radical reforms and replaced by new structures and processes. Slow, small-scale changes are "normal", from a complexity viewpoint, while rapid, wholesale change is both unlikely and unrealistic. Therefore, the frustratingly slow, small-scale, imperfect educational changes that teachers create - including environmental education initiatives - should be seen for what they really are. They should be recognised as successful changes, the impacts of which cannot be known, but which have the potential to magnify into large-scale changes into the future. Rather than being regarded as failures for not meeting critical education criteria, "small wins" should be cause for celebration and support. The intertwined phases of collaborative action research and individual researcher reflection are mirrored in the thesis structure. The first three chapters, respectively, provide the thesis overview, the literature underpinning the study's central concern, and the research methodology. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 report on each of the three action research cycles of the study, namely Laying the Groundwork, Down to Work!, and The Never-ending Story. Each of these chapters presents a narrative of events, a literature review specific to developments in the cycle, and analysis and critique of the events, processes and outcomes of each cycle. Chapter 7 provides a synthesis of the whole of the study, outlining my interim propositions about facilitating curriculum change in schools through action research, and the implications of these for environmental education.

This thesis is a work-in-progress that articulates my research journey based on the development of a curriculum innovation in environmental education. This journey had two distinct, but intertwined phases: action research based fieldwork, conducted collaboratively, to create a whole school approach to environmental education curriculum planning; and a phase of analysis and reflection based on the emerging findings, as I sought to create personal "living educational theory" about change and innovation. A key stimulus for the study was the perceived theory-practice gap in environmental education, which is often presented in the literature as a criticism of teachers for failing to achieve the values and action objectives of critical environmental education. Hence, many programs and projects are considered to be superficial and inconsequential in terms of their ability to seriously address environmental issues. The intention of this study was to work with teachers in a project that would be an exemplar of critical environmental education. This would be in the form of a whole school "learnscaping" curriculum in a primary school whereby the schoolgrounds would be utilised for interdisciplinary critical environment education. Parallel with the three cycles of action research in this project, my research objectives were to identify and comment upon the factors that influence the generation of successful educational innovation. It was anticipated that the project would be a collaboration involving me, as researcher-facilitator, and many of the teachers in the school as active participants. As the project proceeded through its action cycles, however, it became obvious that the goal of developing a critical environmental education curriculum, and the use of highly participatory processes, were unrealistic. Institutional and organisational rigidities in education generally, teachers' day-to-day work demands, and the constant juggle of work, family and other responsibilities for all participants acted as significant constraints. Consequently, it became apparent that the learnscaping curriculum would not be the hoped-for exemplar. Progress was slow and, at times, the project was in danger of stalling permanently. While the curriculum had some elements of critical environmental education, these were minor and not well spread throughout the school. Overall, the outcome seemed best described as a "small win"; perhaps just another example of the theory-practice gap that I had hoped this project would bridge. Towards the project's end, however, my continuing reflection led to an exploration of chaos/complexity theory which gave new meaning to the concept of a "small win". According to this theory, change is not the product of linear processes applied methodically in purposeful and diligent ways, but emerges from serendipitous events that cannot be planned for, or forecast in advance. When this perspective of change is applied to human organisations - in this study, a busy school - the context for change is recognised not as a stable, predictable environment, but as a highly complex system where change happens all the time, cannot be controlled, and no one can be really sure where the impacts might lead. This so-called "butterfly effect" is a central idea of this theory where small changes or modifications are created - the effects of which are difficult to know, let alone determine - and which can have large-scale impacts. Allied with this effect is the belief that long term developments in an organisation that takes complexity into account, emerge by spontaneous self-organising evolution, requiring political interaction and learning in groups, rather than systematic progress towards predetermined goals or "visions". Hence, because change itself and the contexts of change are recognised as complex, chaos/complexity theory suggests that change is more likely to be slow and evolutionary - cultural change - rather than fast and revolutionary where the old is quickly ushered out by radical reforms and replaced by new structures and processes. Slow, small-scale changes are "normal", from a complexity viewpoint, while rapid, wholesale change is both unlikely and unrealistic. Therefore, the frustratingly slow, small-scale, imperfect educational changes that teachers create - including environmental education initiatives - should be seen for what they really are. They should be recognised as successful changes, the impacts of which cannot be known, but which have the potential to magnify into large-scale changes into the future. Rather than being regarded as failures for not meeting critical education criteria, "small wins" should be cause for celebration and support. The intertwined phases of collaborative action research and individual researcher reflection are mirrored in the thesis structure. The first three chapters, respectively, provide the thesis overview, the literature underpinning the study's central concern, and the research methodology. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 report on each of the three action research cycles of the study, namely Laying the Groundwork, Down to Work!, and The Never-ending Story. Each of these chapters presents a narrative of events, a literature review specific to developments in the cycle, and analysis and critique of the events, processes and outcomes of each cycle. Chapter 7 provides a synthesis of the whole of the study, outlining my interim propositions about facilitating curriculum change in schools through action research, and the implications of these for environmental education.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Australian School of Environmental Studies
Full Text

This capstone explores my efforts to lead the implementation of new learning structures for internally funded innovation projects at Teach For America (TFA), a nationwide non-profit organization with a twenty-five year history in the educational sector. My initial Theory of Action for the development of learning processes was informed by an approach to evaluation called Developmental Evaluation (Patton, 2011) based on the Adaptive Cycle of ecological change (Gunderson & Holling, 2002), and research on organizational learning (Argyris, 1999). Major activities in my strategic project were initial exploration and project scoping, the development of individual project learning plans, and engaging in reflective stepback meetings with project grantees and their national learning partners. In order to make inferences about the nature of learning that occurred as a result of the newly developed processes, I collected and coded data on leading indicators of desired capabilities and routines. Early results suggest that the entirety of new learning processes were not associated with leading indicators of desired learning behaviors. There was, however, suggestive evidence that certain, structured, interactions were associated with higher rates of desired behaviors. My explanation for the results includes partial implementation of the initial strategy, and a postulation that the organization’s default culture was previously organized for efficiency at the expense of learning (Edmonson, 2008). Suggestive bright spots in the results and future implications for both the site and the sector are informed by Edmonson’s research on learning organizations, open innovation strategy, and developmental evaluation.