Sustaining innovations in Singapore schools: Implications for research work

Abstract

This paper explores the broad issues of why the meaningful use of ICT to engage in deep learning has not been widespread in K-12 schools. We argue a critical reason is the lack of sustainability in the implementation of ICT-enabled pedagogies in schools, arising from a failure to understand the conditions for systemic innovations. We describe the key issues related to sustainability from literature, and contextualized some of these issues using 2 examples of innovations that have been implemented in the Singapore schools. Implications are then drawn with respect to how research work should be conducted with a view of sustainability, how to build up capacity of researchers and teacher implementers to push innovations, and new methods of analysis for studying sustainability.