Understanding and Assessment of Innovation by Geography Teachers in North Rhine- Westphalia: A German Case Study

Innovation is an integral part of much of today’s society, including geography teaching. Geography education has the potential to develop through innovative approaches to the formation of methods and content in the classroom. The concept of innovation is much discussed, but there has been minimal research into teachers' actual understanding of innovation. The aim of the following study is to determine the understanding of innovation by geography teachers, and specifically to identify understanding and assessment patterns that lead to certain intentions for acting with innovation. First, a theoretical framework is developed in the form of an innovation matrix, which allows innovation to be divided into different classes, levels of impact and with corresponding actors in geography lessons. Subsequently, ten geography teachers were asked in an empirical study in narrative interviews about their understanding and assessment of innovations. The results of this study showed different patterns of understanding and assessment of innovation, perceived innovative methods, media and content in class and obstacles to the implementation of innovation.