Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Qualitative Research

Introduction:
This paper emerges from the context of a Canadian study, “Unpacking the Creation of Big Ideas: How can the Biographies of Multidisciplinary Innovators Inform 21st Century Teaching and Learning?” which examines the concept of innovation and its implications for teaching and learning in K-12 public schools. Discussion of innovation in education is generally limited to STEM, communication, and information technologies. This study asks, what innovations are occurring beyond STEM? And what public value and deeper knowledge develops because of these innovations?
Goals and Methods:
The goal of the study is to garner insights regarding the origins of innovative ideas, how innovations are adopted, and how to foster innovation in schools. Methods include a review of “innovation” literature, leaning heavily on Benoît Godin, and data collection through interviews with twelve innovators in fields related to school curriculum. Data is analyzed using The Five Contexts framework for qualitative research, where the researcher interprets data through autobiographical, historical, political, postmodern, and philosophical lenses.
Results:
Data analysis led to an interrogation of deeply held assumptions about innovation in the educational context. The authors suggest a reconceptualization of the term innovation in education to include renewal – a return to elements of the old but in a new context. For example, “innovations” in education regarding the environmental crisis may draw from indigenous ways of knowing and pedagogies. Innovations with the goal of well-being may draw from holistic and contemplative methods. Innovations with the goal of promoting social justice may involve multicultural discourse frameworks.
Conclusion:
A broader and deeper concept of innovation beyond STEM is required to foster meaningful innovation in education that addresses the needs of our time. This involves re-examining the goals and values of the existing education system and assumptions about what makes an innovation desirable in the educational context.