Restructuring vocational schools as social innovation?
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the implementation of educational reform processes by applying the concept of social innovation. The paper proposes a model of social innovation and test its applicability in the context of Estonian vocational education reform using two case studies of the school re-organization as an example.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach has been applied in the empirical study. Different data collection methods have been used including semi-structured interviews with the various change actors, observations and analysis of written documents.
Findings
The integrated model of social innovation proved to be a fruitful analytical tool. By focusing on five central aspects – the trigger of change, central change agents, social mechanisms facilitating the adoption of change, implications and social gains – it was possible to explain two school re-organization processes and the reasons behind their success or complications.
Practical implications
The analysis of the cases outlined some lessons that can be learned for the future planning and implementation of school reforms. School changes are more easily adopted if actors experience it as useful and rational, school staff are involved in the process as early as possible and the adoption is facilitated by building certain social mechanisms and network structures into the policy implementation process.
Originality/value
The paper makes a contribution to the literature on educational reform by applying the concept of social innovation. Up until now, the concept of social innovation has remained rather underused to explain the process of implementing and adopting reforms, and in particular, it is rarely used in the context of analyzing educational reforms.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was carried out within the research projects “Fundamental Education Change: vocational teachers as change agencies in the course of VET reforms” (ETF9095) funded by Estonian Science Foundation and the project funded by the Estonian Research Council “Education Change as Social Innovation” (SF0130018s09) led by senior researcher, Head of the Centre of Educational Research at Tallinn University, Dr Krista Loogma.
Citation
Ümarik, M., Loogma, K. and Tafel-Viia, K. (2014), "Restructuring vocational schools as social innovation?", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 52 No. 1, pp. 97-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-08-2012-0100
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited