Shifts to Learning Eco-Systems: Principals' and Teachers' Perceptions of Innovative Learning Environments

Abstract

Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) with their origins in OECD literature, propose to revolutionise education as we know it. ILEs draw on a large body of literature: constructivist learning theory; distributed leadership; personalised 21st century learning; blended learning (digital); and, future-focused education. Despite an increasing body of research in the area, there appears to be confusion around the concept of ILEs in Aotearoa/New Zealand schools. This article reports on survey research with 126 questionnaire respondents. These principals and teachers, drawn from a random sample of New Zealand schools, commented on the implications of ILEs for teaching and learning in their contexts. This article explores the theoretical and philosophical resources that educators bring to this concept and its implications for their practice. Five themes regarding ILEs emerged from the responses: lack of clarity; we do it already, the significance of material spaces; pedagogical implications; and, the politics around ILEs. The authors ask whether ILEs are just another neoliberal shift in education or an opportunity to respond innovatively to the fundamentals of schooling.