The perception of innovation in the delivery of services for Hawaiian students

2012-08-29Native Hawaiians come from a tradition of success and resilience. Sumida and Meyer (2006) report that Native Hawaiians were among the most literate people in the world in the 1840’s where they had the highest literacy rate west of the Rockies. By 1893, nearly 100 Hawaiian newspapers were in print and circulation in the Hawaiian Islands (Sumida & Meyer, 2006). Prior to western contact, the islands maintained a highly sophisticated society by sustaining 500,000+ people through the very concise agricultural and hydroponic systems (Kame’eleihiwa, 1989). Native Hawaiians were experts in sailing, agriculture, fishing, clothing manufacturing, and medicine (Kame’eleihiwa, 1989). A society once depicting innovation, ingenuity and intelligence. Less than two hundred years later, this is no longer the case. ❧ The intent of this study is to investigate whether the Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center (QLCC) is perceived as being an innovative organization or not. This study posed emphasis for a disruptive innovative change in the delivery of educational services for Native Hawaiians. Whereby, educational methodologies, learning processes and collaborative efforts which stimulate and engage Native Hawaiian students are innovative and implemented in an effort to help these students reach their fullest potential. The Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center was chosen to be studied for their innovative collaborative work with Native Hawaiian students and their families. It was hypothesized that QLCC is an innovative organization. This study inquires whether the establishment of QLCC’s Incentive Motivation program is perceived as an organizational innovation. This study also queries whether the use of Hawaiian cultural practices and values within the delivery of services are considered to be innovative. This study furthermore investigates whether QLCC possesses three key internal antecedents of an innovative organization. The results of this study add to the limited literature on innovation in education for Native Hawaiians. ❧ This study was able to demonstrate that a traditional, hierarchal organization such as QLCC does possess internal antecedents of innovation. Furthermore, the data showed that QLCC staff have positive attitudes towards innovation, are willing to try new things and are receptive to changes that enhance the lives of Hawaiian children and their families. The results also provide evidence to corroborate this study’s framework on Ho’okumu A’e, Hawaiian worldview. Hawaiian perspectives or worldview emphasizes the importance of learning from the past. Where learning from the past is the ability to create value through new uses of existing knowledge (Jamrog, Vickers and Bear, 2006), thereby being innovative. Participants in the study also believed that the use of Hawaiian cultural practices and values are essential when working with the Native Hawaiian population despite your own ethnicity. ❧ The findings of this study will assist policymakers, administrators and staff to develop policies and procedures to improve the social and educational status of Native Hawaiians. This study recognizes the contribution that QLCC has made to the Native Hawaiian community and the larger community as only one example of culturally relevant uses for innovation. It is therefore suggested that innovation within a Hawaiian organization be culturally relevant. Which in this context means: 1) Innovation should be useful and influence those who work with Native Hawaiian families; 2)Innovation should be based on Native Hawaiian value system; and 3) Innovation should be easily adaptable and highly relevant to the Native Hawaiian population as in the example of Nana I Ke Kumu