How does innovation change the changer?

Teachers introducing innovation into their teaching are involved in a process of change not only for their students, but for themselves as well. This applies whether the teaching innovation is a product or a process. Particularly when the reason for change originates outside the teacher’s control, individual attitudes and concerns about the change often affect the success of the innovation.

Rogers (1995) described perceived attributes of innovations to explain their rate of adoption. These are relative advantage, compatability, complexity, trialability and observability. He also identified patterns of adoption across a normal distribution of innovators, early adopters, early and late majority, and laggards. Adoption of an innovation is never complete across a system as some individuals choose not to change.

Hall and Hord (1987) suggest that the change process is more successful if the concerns of the teacher are considered.They identified stages of concern about innovation adoption that progress from issues of self-concern about competence,through task concerns about the use of the innovation, to impact concerns about the effectiveness of the innovation. Implementation of teaching innovations, whether ultimately better or just different, requires time for individuals affected to address their own concerns about its relative merits.

If you are unconvinced about the relative advantage of a change, you might like to consider the following: are you concerned about your capabilities relating to the innovation? are you concerned about the management of the innovation at the unit or course level? are you concerned about the likely effectiveness and learning outcomes?

• Hall, G. E., & Hord, S. M. (1987). Change in Schools: Facilitating the Process. Albany: State University of New York Press.
• Rogers, E.M. (1995) Diffusion of Innovations (4th Edition). NY: The Free Press.