What is reform? What is innovation? Innovation process Reform and Innovation in Education

Bishop (1986:1) citing prof. Fafunwa; ‘you cannot use yesterday’s tool for today’s job and expect to business tomorrow’. The concepts of reform and innovation refer to change and newness. It is about re-fashioning, refining, modifying, redesigning for improvement. Tunji Olaopa ( ntation...II.pdf) (2010) contends that reform is accommodating new changes by adjusting or changing old ideas or processes in line with new challenges or visions.

National Center for Postsecondary Improvement defines reform as a “top-down” approach; either system-wide or anchored within several different institutions; based on external processes. For example major changes of curriculum after independence, or new structure that abolishes racial or religious schools or declaration of free education in Zanzibar, diversification of secondary education National Center for Postsecondary Improvement web.stanford.edu/.../pdf/reforminnov_liteview.pd has defined Innovation as a “bottom-up” or “grassroots” approach; based on internal processes’.

An innovation is ‘taking an existing concept or idea and improving it………. (CPI; innovation-process-15/01/2014) Examples of innovation are radio programme, content based curriculum to content based curriculum, strategies of managing large class, child-to child approach According to Bishop (1986), any process of innovation involves four factors: 1. Change agent 2. The innovation 3. The user system 4. Time

Change agent: the innovator, the person or groups who initiates innovation or educational change like a teacher or a head teacher. The innovation: the change itself; education by radio, the use of projector, online teaching and learning The user system: the person or group the innovation is directed to or targeted. Time: a social process that should take place over a period of time.

The Process of Innovation 1. Problem 2. Possible solutions ate considered 3. Particular solution or innovation is selected 4. The optimum solution is trialed and evaluated 5. The solution is implemented in a wider scale 6. The solution is absorbed in to the system, it is institutionalized

1. The problem Innovation begins with a problem or situation which is not desirable which requires a solution, for example pupils fail in mathematics, pupils’ dropout, teachers don’t enter classrooms, parents don’t care about education of their children. To think about the right problem is difficult 2. Consideration of possible solutions: One should consider the context in which the solution, the innovation or the educational change is going to be applied; the resources, the people values, physical environment.

Innovator should not be overambitious 3. The innovation The best and most effective solution or innovation or educational change with reasonable cost for achieving the result is selected. 4. Trying out the optimum solution Develop and introduce innovation into the client/user system. This involves: promoting awareness and interest in the innovation, adjusting internal organizational procedures and arrangements

locating and arranging appropriate resources, providing training courses and incentives, setting up monitoring and feedback procedures to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the innovation. 5. Implementation An extension of trial phase. The solution or innovation is implemented in a wide scale In the process, the innovator has to continue negotiating with people involved in the system involved in establishing new ideas and practices.

6. Institutionalization change the usual pattern of people’s (teacher’s) behavior. National capacity and commitment is necessary to carry on the innovation. Gradual assimilation of number and variety of unfamiliar elements or behaviors. The innovation is absorbed and structurally integrated into the system.

Jeffrey Baumgartner (2011) ( identifies seven steps in the process of innovationwww.jpb.com/creative/innovationprocess.php Problem; identification of problem Convert the problem into a challenge; involve others into thinking about Challenge colleague to suggest creative solutions; ask colleague how they see the problem and its solution Collaborative idea generation; thinking about various alternative solutions by sharing and discussing Combine and evaluate ideas; trying to find out the best solutions Develop ideas; select one or two best solutions Implement ideas; work on the idea

Bishop, G (1986): Innovation in Education. London: McMillan Olaopa. T (2010) ‘Reform Implementation as Complex Process: Perspectives on & for Reform Management In the African Public Services’. African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development Centre: Tangier ntation...II.pdfwww.cafrad.org/.../documents/Reform_Impleme ntation...II.pdf Extracted on 14/01/2014

Reform and Innovation in Higher Education, A Literature Review, Prepared by the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement: Project 5.3; web.stanford.edu/.../pdf/reforminnov_litreview.pd Extracted on 15/01/2014 Jeffrey Baumgartner (2011) ( Extracted on 17/01/2014 CPI; process-extracted on15/01/2014) process-extracted