1. Rigorous innovation: leading for real improvement Daniel Muijs University of Southampton, UK

2. Innovation in Education  Increasingly competitive international environment  Importance of human capital  Rapid societal changes  The changing nature of technology  The changing requirements of learners?

3. Many calls for innovation…  Robinson (2014): current systems lack creativity  Greenstone & Looney (2012): education faces an innovation deficit  Dede (2011): Lifewide learning  Trilling & Fadel (2009): 21 st century skills  ‘Classroom of today hasn’t changed for a century’

4. Many calls for innovation…  New approaches, e.g.: – flipped classroom, – mobile learning, – blended learning

5. So we need innovation…  But what does this mean for school leaders?  Some of the calls are systemic, creating inherent constraints for leaders – Curriculum – Accountability – Assessment systems – Resources – Parents

6. But do we really need innovation?  Yes, but: – What really are 21 st Century skills, and what do they rest on? – What is the basis of creativity? – Is knowledge really just searchable?  Is there really no innovation in education?

7. And what exactly requires innovating?  Willingham (2012): Knowledge remains foundation for learning – Required to make connections – Processing in short-term memory – Expert studies

8. What is innovation?  Adopting a so-called innovative approach?  Employing approaches that have existed for half a century or more (‘learner-centred’ approaches)?  Using expensive technology to do the same thing you always did?  Educational Innovation = new ideas that benefit learning

9. What we know  Four established principles of world-class teaching (Muijs et al, 2014): – Direct instruction in basic skills and knowledge – Developing self-regulated learning and metacognitive skills – Feedback and target-setting – Subject knowledge  Where innovation is coming from – Cognitive science – Big data – New technologies

10. Cognitive Science  Rapidly evolving field  Transfer to classroom practise is not straightforward  Findings do have important implications around – Structure of memory – Modular and pattern-making properties of the brain – Learning has significant emotional components  Role of genetics

11. Big data  The ability to collate large amounts of data on pupils’ learning  The ability to use this data to inform decision-making  Target-setting and performance management  Personalised learning

12. New technologies  Mobile technology  The flipped classroom  Blended learning  But: what is the evidence?

13. The role of leaders in innovation  Creating a climate for innovation  Creating a structure for innovation  Overcoming a culture of fear  Developing thoughtful innovation strategies

15. Thoughtful innovation  Means looking critically at claims  Keeping what is good in traditional approaches, such as Direct Instruction  Studying the evidence base for claimed innovations  Above all, trial in school, evaluate and adapt

16. Key aspect: Improving classroom practise  Key leadership task is improving conditions for teaching and learning  This requires changing classroom practise and instructional leadership

17. Instructional leadership  Instructional leadership: – Confirmed in a variety of school effectiveness studies (Teddlie & Reynolds, 2001) and more recent research (Leithwood et al, 2011) – Those actions that a principal takes, or delegates to others, to promote growth in student learning – Making instructional quality the top priority of the school and brings that vision to realization

18. Instructional Leadership  A leader, not an administrator  Instructional leaders have a pedagogical vision and expertise  Instructional leaders focus on teaching and learning  Often start with a particular initiative promoting a teaching strategy  Professional development focussed on teaching and learning

19. Changing classroom practise  So how can we develop thoughtful innovation in teaching and pedagogy?  Some strategies: – Changing behaviour – ‘Mini-experiments’ – Collaborative lesson study – Teachers as researchers – Collaboration and networking

20. Changing behaviour  Mathematics in primary schools in Stockton-on-Tees: – Top down model – Leadership puts in place strategies, and models desired strategies and behaviours – Professional development programme put in place – Change behaviours first, beliefs follow

21. Mini-experiments  A way of introducing innovation  Spaced Learning in a secondary school in North-East England: – Experimental and control groups – Pre- and post tests – Evaluation of effects before making whole school

22. Lesson study  Lesson study in in an Academy in Manchester: – Teachers work in small groups – Plan a ‘research lesson’ collaboratively – One teacher teaches, others observe and evaluate – Revise and report

23. Teachers as Researchers  Teachers developing their own research – Action research projects – ‘Research Leads’ – The teacher research movement  ResearchEd  TLT

24. Collaboration and networking  Collaboration with other schools to plug ‘structural gaps’  Found to be effective in improving student outcomes under the right conditions(Muijs, 2015). – Leadership support – Openness to change – Clear agreed goals – Mutual observation – Imitation

25. Leading for innovation  Key is to encourage the testing of innovative approaches  License to fail  But: – Check quality and reliability of evidence base – Monitor and evaluate!  Evaluate: – Changes in beliefs – Changes to practise – Student outcomes

26. Conclusion  In a changing world, innovation is essential  But… – Not everything sold as innovation is innovative – Not everything sold as innovation evidence-based – Not everything sold as innovation is harmless  What we need is thoughtful innovation – Evidence-based – Tested and adapted in schools – Focussed on better learning outcomes  Need for rigorous evaluation of new developments and methods

27. Conclusion  Thank you for your attention!  D.Muijs@soton.ac.uk D.Muijs@soton.ac.uk  @ProfDanielMuijs 27