IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

This research aims to identify the main features of educational innovations in the context of K-12 schools and significant factors that impact the implementation process. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review of 76 English peer-reviewed articles that examined educational innovations between 2010 and 2019. Using the concept of institutional isomorphism, resource dependence theory and the sensemaking perspective, the review found that innovation was not being successfully implemented in schools largely due to “actor-related challenges” including issues related to teachers’ worldviews. The review also identified external environmental pressures outside the schools’ purview that restricted or curtailed the integration of educational innovations. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding of innovation implementation in education from the perspective of implementation science. Illuminating some features of educational innovation implementation and the associated obstacles, this study offers recommendations for research and practice to improve the prospects of sustainable and scalable innovations in educational contexts.