Levels, Domains and Involved Factors: Mplementation of Pedagogical Innovations Using Technology

The rapid and pervasive implementation of new information and communication technologies (ICT) in the education system raises expectations regarding its potential for and contribution to the improvement of education. In spite of the accelerated implementation pace of ICT infrastructure in the educational system, including connection to the Internet, we are only at the beginning of a long process (Venezky & Davis, 2002). The goal of this study is to analyze the data collected in ten Israeli schools which have implemented ICT in unique ways and have succeeded in creating innovative classroom pedagogies and school system changes. In this paper we apply an analysis schema in analyzing data collected in the schools (e.g. levels and domains of innovation), thereby characterizing ICT-based educational innovations. We examine the level of innovation in the various domains and their variations among and within schools. We then examine the factors affecting successful implementation of innovative pedagogical practices using technology (IPPUTs) within these schools. We define these factors, measure the intensity of each factor’s involvement and trace the connections between these factors and the levels of innovation in different school domains (e.g., learning, teaching, curriculum, time/space configuration). Our research questions were: 1. What levels of innovation were observed in the participant schools in the different domains, and how do they vary among and within schools? 2. What is the configuration and intensity level of the factors involved in the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices using ICT in schools? 3. What connection can be established between the intensity level of the factors involved in the innovation and the level of change in the various innovation domains? We believe that the findings of this study will contribute to the clarification of the conceptual framework for ICT implementation in schools, point out the challenges faced by those involved in generating and implementing the innovations, and offer operational courses of action for decisionmakers.