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An investigation of the successful implementation of innovative instructional techniques in a STEAM elementary school: an instrumental case study
Dissertation   Open access

An investigation of the successful implementation of innovative instructional techniques in a STEAM elementary school: an instrumental case study

Amanda S. Ward
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Feb 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000333
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Ward_Amanda_20211.07 MBDownloadView

Abstract

Educational innovations Educational technology Magnet schools
School districts in the United States are being asked to adopt innovative instructional techniques to meet the needs of today's students. However, these requested changes may be met with resistance by teachers, and when this happens, change initiatives can fail. This instrumental case study investigates the actions and experiences of teachers and administrators within a STEAM elementary magnet school in the Midwest that has successfully implemented innovative instructional techniques with students from Kindergarten through sixth grade. Because acceptance of innovative change in schools is frequently low, studying those schools that have successfully changed may offer important insights about the nature of their success. The process of change in place within this STEAM magnet school, once identified, may be applied to other schools attempting the same types of changes. The research questions for this study are: (1) How do teachers and administrators involved in a STEAM elementary school describe their success when implementing innovative instructional techniques? (2) How do the prior experiences of teachers affect their decision to implement innovative instructional techniques? (3) How do district administrators describe the processes and strategies utilized when developing a successful STEAM elementary school? To provide the background for this topic, a review of three literature topics was completed: 1. The management of change stream of theory investigates communication, the change process, management models, and the management of resistance. 2. Change within the school setting, speaks to research on administrative support, collaboration, teacher experience, and motivation. 3. Acceptance and implementation of innovation focuses on technology implementation, teacher experience with innovation, and barriers to implementation. Keywords: innovative instruction, change, STEAM schools, technology implementation, magnet schools, instructional techniques

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