Principals\u27 Perceptions Of Implementation Levels Of Innovative Education In North Dakota Schools

The purpose of this quantitative study was to bring awareness to education policy makers and educators in North Dakota (ND) regarding the process of implementing innovative education after the enactment of North Dakota’s Senate Bill 2186 (SB 2186) in 2017. For the purpose of this study, innovative education is defined as instruction that incorporates any or all of the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. This study analyzed ND principals’ perceived levels of implementation of 4Cs instruction, perceived roadblocks and supports to 4Cs implementation, differences in implementation of 4Cs instruction dependent on enrollment, and differences in implementation of 4Cs instruction dependent on type of school. A survey using Qualtrics web based design software was completed by ND public school principals in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Principals responded to a 5-point Likert scale measuring their perceptions of levels of implementation, roadblocks, supports, and differences in implementation of 4Cs instruction. Results identified principals perceived 4Cs instruction was being implemented in their building at some level. Results identified statistically significant supports and roadblocks to levels of implementation of 4Cs instruction. Principals reported school board, parents, students, and teachers as supports to implementation, while reporting funding and North Dakota Department of Public Instruction as roadblocks. The study identified statistically significant differences in levels of implementation of 4Cs instruction based on school size (enrollment). Principals of schools with enrollment of 1001 to 2000 reported a higher level of implementation of 4Cs instruction than did schools with smaller enrollment (200 or less; 201 to 1000). Results did not identify differences in the levels of implementation of 4Cs instruction based on type of school