Recent Research on the Dissemination and Implementation of Educational Innovations

This paper seeks to point up the lessons from research on educational innovation for those involved in the dissemination of health education project materials. It covers three areas: a summary of major research; a critique of that research; and a summary of practical generalizations about effective innovation strategies. Recent research findings are much more optimistic about bringing about large-scale change, but these findings are largely based upon US work which is inevitably culture-bound. Nevertheless, some practical generalizations are offered, with qualifications, about necessary conditions relating to the characteristics of the innovation, the implementation strategy and the target user.