NTI Gymnasiet wants to drive innovation from the bottom up

Training in innovation management for RISE school partners

Before the summer, RISE conducted an online training in innovation management for school leaders from its nine school partners. Each school head formed a team where they jointly looked for ways to develop and innovate their activities. The first step was to conduct a baseline analysis of the innovation climate in the schools. In the next step, the teams started from the obstacles and opportunities they had identified. They reflected on how a systematic approach to innovation management could provide better conditions for thinking and acting in new ways in their respective organisations.

NTI Gymnasiet took part with a team comprising the three school directors. It is essential to look inside the organisation and analyse what we need to get the innovation work underway, says school director Ellen Lindqvist.

“Most of the initiatives we have implemented have come from the top. We, as school directors, have set the direction, and then everyone has to move in the same direction. One lesson from this spring’s training is the value of starting from the day-to-day activities and taking teachers’ wishes and needs as a starting point.”

School management and teachers should jointly control the innovation process, says Erik Isakson, head of school.

“We, as school leaders, need to bring the entire chain of decision-making with us to lead the work of change and innovation. The way we work must unleash the creative power of our teachers and contribute to constructive development together.”

Creating a culture of innovation that facilitates the step from idea to implementation

NTI Upper Secondary School works with ZoCom, a consultancy working with digital technology development and education. ZoCom wants to help create a culture of innovation at the 29 schools that make it easier to take the step from idea to practical implementation, says Johan Kivi, the regional development manager.

“Teachers often have good ideas about how digital technology can help in the classroom. The problem is that they don’t know how to do it or they don’t have the time. That’s where we come in. Teachers come up with the original ideas and participate in the development process by continually testing and providing feedback on our solutions.”
 

NTI Gymnasiet launched the NTI Incubator website, a shared bulletin board for teachers, at the end of August. They share ‘scrapes’ and ‘patches’ during the initial idea phase, says Sarah Stridfeldt, Head of School at NTI Gymnasiet.

“A scrape is an annoying problem that teachers often encounter, and patches are possible digital solution. Over the next few weeks, all teachers will fill in the scrapes and patches on the notice board. They can also like the suggestions that they think are important to solve. In early November, we will have a closer look at which problems and solutions have received the most reactions. Then we’ll move on to the next stage, and by next summer, we should have answers to a couple of problems.”

Every Friday morning, interested teachers in the 29 schools can join ZoCom representatives for an online coffee hour. By letting everyone get to know each other and opening up for questions and discussions, NTI Gymnasiet and ZoCom want to create the conditions for the joint renewal work, adds Sarah Stridfeldt.

“ZoCom collaborates with the teachers throughout the entire work process, from the initial ideas to selecting which problems and solutions to work on. We need to see this work as part of the overall operation and free up the time needed to make it all happen.”

School development requires an ongoing pedagogical conversation

The notice board acts as an open channel for teachers and provides the basis for discussion necessary for the work to continue, says Johan Kivi.

“We can already see a wide range of problems that teachers are looking for digital solutions to. These should be routine tasks that all teachers encounter and that take unnecessary time away from teaching. For example, it could be to break a class into smaller groups, keeping track of noise levels and the general working environment in the classroom, or finding simple ways to check that pupils have understood what the lesson is about.”
 

Development and innovation in schools rely on a continuous pedagogical conversation. It’s often a challenge, but it has to be done, says Måns Hansson, Marketing Manager at ZoCom.

“I have previously worked with the Swedish National Agency for Education’s Teacher Development Initiative. The real benefit was that teachers talked to colleagues about their teaching. It was a simple approach that enabled teachers to meet and help each other move forward. But it’s crucial to have a high ceiling and dare to try new ways of doing things. If it doesn’t work for the first time, try it again.”

Working with innovation management is far from easy. One problem is that this way of thinking and acting risks clashing with the school’s linear structures, Måns Hansson points out.

“It is important to challenge these structures, dare break patterns, and show that you can create solutions that open up new opportunities. This might make it possible to speed up development. But it is not just about increasing efficiency; it is just as important to show that change is possible, that we do not have to continue on the same old path.”

What hurts the most - and which ‘patches’ help?

Three criteria are decisive when choosing which problems to work with, says Johan Kivi.

“The solution must be technically workable, but there must also be a pedagogical idea behind it that provides an obvious benefit in the classroom. It is also vital that it is a scalable solution. Our goal is that as many people as possible should be able to benefit from it. Ideally, it should apply to all levels of education, from pre-school to university.”

Before the actual development work begins, it is essential to test classroom prototypes and produce precise specifications for the developers, emphasises Johan Kivi.

“At this early stage, it’s a good idea to involve students in the development work. A suitable target group is fourth-year students in the engineering programme. They are the perfect fit for this. The students get to try working on real projects, and they will use the results in the school’s daily activities. It’s a valuable experience that also adds value to their CVs.”

Ellen Lindqvist hopes bottom up innovation, grounded in the concrete reality of the classroom, can contribute to a significant change in the development of school operations.

“There are always a few early adopters, but that’s not enough for the whole organisation to follow. We need to free up time for everyone in the college to take part in the development work. This is not just important for NTI Gymnasiet, but for all schools. Once we have made some progress, we are open to discussions and cooperation with other principals on innovation management and new thinking in schools. We are all looking for answers to the crucial question: How can you become a better teacher and remove barriers so that your students get a better education?”