Future Teachers Opinion About Individual Innovation

Abstract

Innovation as a process and innovative person have been the subject of the researchers' concerns in the exact sciences, psychology and science of education, in the economic or technological fields, etc. Innovation and invention are often confused. The invention involves the production of new things (objects, processes, models or theories), while innovation involves identifying new ways in which an object can be used, identifying and optimizing new processes, and revising and transferring models or theories. They are both based on creativity, synthesis, analysis and evaluation skills, but in the case of the invention the ability to synthesize information is more important than analysis and evaluation, as compared to innovation where analysis and evaluation skills are essential. This study presents the results of a survey on innovative skills and a profile of innovative people. 219 students, future teachers for preschool and primary education were involved in the survey. The results indicate that participants agreed in a higher degree as to what skills are important for innovation and in a lower degree regarding the skills of innovative individuals. They also indicate the need to prepare future teachers for preschool and primary education to cultivate the innovative skills of their students and promote innovation culture within the institutions they work.

Keywords: Innovationpreschoolprimary educationskills

Introduction

We live in an era of innovation. Education for innovation should start from early ages and future teachers for preschool and primary education should be trained to develop to their students the skills involved in the innovation process. But are they open to innovation?

Problem Statement

At an international level, innovation represents a goal of developmental policies (UNDP, 2016). As a result, it is important to promote a culture of innovation in educational institutions, not just in companies and organizations. Universities and high schools with technical specializations offer such programmes to their students. Students preparing to become teachers benefit to a small extent from training programmes in the field of innovation, although they could get involved in innovating the educational process and system.

In order to develop training programmes in the field of innovation, educational institutions have to find out what students believe regarding innovation in general and individual innovation, in particular. The results of the studies that focus on students’ opinions regarding innovation could be used in the development of effective training programmes.

Research Questions

Students who prepare to become teachers in preschool and primary education are hardly ever informed during courses about innovation and the innovation process. As a result, their source of knowledge regarding innovation comes from their life experience and to a small extent, from schools. Therefore, this study puts forward the following question: What students who prepare to become teachers in preschool and primary education believe about innovation in general and individual innovation, in particular?

Purpose of the Study

This study aims to identify the opinions of prospective teachers concerning innovation (educability, genetic inheritance, the importance of innovation in the current society, the characteristics of innovative individuals), the skills that define the innovation competence and the profile of an innovative student.

Research Methods

The research was carried out during the second semester of the 2018/2019 university year. The survey was based on questionnaires adapted by researchers after Muñoz-van den Eynde, Cornejo-Cañamares, and Diaz-Garcia (2015) and Cachia and Ferrari (2010). The instrument consists of 60 items: 3 demographical questions and 57 items about innovation, structured in six categories: teacher’s role in promoting innovation (8 items), the students’ opinions regarding innovation (12 items), the skills needed to be developed to an innovator (11 items), the university openness to innovation (14 items), the characteristics of student as an innovative person (6 items) and the role of education in developing innovation skills (6 items). In the current study we have selected and analysed the respondents' answers to three categories of items (2,3,5). Internal consistency was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient. It was calculated for the 29 items (0.934) and the questionnaire as a whole (0.964). The numerical Likert scale (1 - totally disagree; 5 - fully agree) was used to formulate answers. To discuss the results presented in Table 01 and Table 03 was calculated for each item the sum of percentages of variant 1 and 2 and 4 and 5. The first sum represents the percentage of students who don’t agree with an affirmation (marked with No), and the second one represents the percentage of students who agree with an affirmation (marked with Yes). In the case of some items the information was completed with percentages of total agreement or disagreement

The survey was attended by 219 respondents who participated online and voluntary. Most of the respondents were women (97%). The distribution by age groups was as follows: 48.4% respondents aged 18-24 years; 10% between 25-29 years; 15.5% between 30-34 years; 11.4% between 35-39 years; 9.6% between 40-44 years and the rest of the respondents exceeds 45 years. 70% of the respondents were third year future teachers for primary and preschool education, 3 were pursuing master's degree specialisation and 4 were PhD students. The rest of the respondents are teachers and 8 of them hold the title of PhD respectively master's degree.

Findings

Table 01 presents students’ opinions concerning innovation. An equal percentage of respondents (43.38%) strongly disagrees with the idea that innovation is relevant only in the technical and artistic fields. The respondents consider that nowadays is important to be innovative (34.70% strongly agree), regardless of the profession (24.68% strongly agree). About half of respondents disagree with the idea that many other skills are more important than innovation (47.03%), that innovation is an innate talent (40.64%) and a characteristic of the eminent people (55.25%).

25.11% of the respondents completely agree that everyone can be innovative and that innovative people are intelligent. Also, over 50% of the subjects agree that innovation can be developed through learning, with effort. The highest percentage of total agreement is registered with reference to the fact that innovative people have to possess a rich imagination (43.38%).

Between 80% -87% of respondents agree with the affirmations regarding the skills needed to be an innovator (Table 02 ). The highest percentage of total agreement (70.62%) is recorded with reference to the affirmations that “in order to be able to innovate you must have to develop your creativity and interest in innovation”.

The skills involved in the innovation process are less valued in comparison to creativity and motivation. One possible explanation would be that respondents are less informed about the innovation process and as a result, attach little importance to the specific steps it implies.

In what concerns the characteristics of the innovative student, the respondents appreciated the most the following: critical and logical thinking (30.14% total agree respectively 21% total agree). The lowest percentage of “total agree” is recorded by the statement: “innovative students are dreamers, broken from reality” (5.02%). More than half of the respondents (55.16% agree) consider that the intelligent student is also innovative.

Conclusion

Innovation competence is considered nowadays a key-competence (UNDP, 2016). According to the results of the present study, there is a high degree of agreement regarding the importance of innovation in today’s society and in any profession. Likewise, as the averages of the items indicate, respondents appreciate to a great extent the skills of the innovation process, including creativity and the interest for innovation. Respondents disagree with the affirmations that relate innovation with talent, predisposition for dreaming, disciplinary field, eminent individuals, but agree the fact that innovative persons have a rich imagination.

The results of our study reveal that there is a need to make changes in the curriculum for the initial training of students who prepare to become teachers in the preschool and primary education. These revisions should not materialize into a specific subject focused on the innovation process, but the concern for the development of innovation competence needs to be present regardless of a given subject.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank students who participated as respondents in this research.

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