EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION: THE AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS OF THE “INSTITUTION OF EXCELLENCE AND PROMOTION OF GOOD PRACTICES” ACTION

Abstract

Many different sectors perceive innovation as a problem since we are living in a period when both technological and societal change is occurring at a quick and dynamic pace. As an illustration, innovative ideas and technologies are rapidly absorbed in the fields of entrepreneurship, research, health, and industry. These ideas and technologies shape significant organizational and production changes, with the objective of discovering new ways to solve problems and/or enhance products and services. In a perfect world, an innovation would act as a catalyst for a new cycle of learning, which would ultimately result in a more extensive change and ongoing development inside an organization. With the goal of fostering and incorporating creative teaching techniques, improving educational outcomes, and eventually better preparing students for social integration, novel educational initiatives are being proposed as an essential component of the curriculum for elementary and secondary school. The purpose of this study is to present a unique theoretical-conceptual framework that was utilized as the basis for the development of an analysis and visualization scheme for creative educational efforts. The study questions center on the broader significance of educational innovations for elementary schools and are as listed: What educational background aspects in the implementation of projects by the "Excellence and Highlighting of Good Practices" institution influence the inventive activities that lead to excellent practices? What are the creative components that contribute to the effectiveness of an educational initiative, resulting in favorable outcomes for students, instructors, and the school? What is the level of sustainability and integration of the educational innovations in the schools that have adopted them? What challenges arise in adapting and transferring practices within each school? The application of this scheme to the analysis of the educational projects that were awarded in primary schools as part of the "Institution of Excellence" initiative showed the distinctive characteristics of innovative programs as well as the variables that promote their long-term viability and incorporation into school practices. The characteristics of the projects that were analyzed lend themselves to qualitative analysis. The purpose of this analysis is to highlight, in a real environment, the multiple aspects of innovative characteristics, where they exist, as well as to clarify the conceptual categories and to gain a deeper understanding of the educational processes. Additionally, the limited number of 11 projects does not lend itself to the finding of broad patterns , but rather to the construction of a thorough image for each case and by highlighting features that are similar to all of the projects as well as distinctions between them. The leadership of the action coordinator, the utilization of information and communication technology and appropriate school infrastructure, the culture of the school, the climate of collaboration among teachers, educational leadership, the incorporation of actions into school policy, as well as school networking and participation in European programs are all essential components.