ABSTRACT
Major economic, social, and technological changes in the twenty-first century require a transformation in the everyday practices that educational institutions use to train future innovators. Through a case study on five schools within a network of private schools in Istanbul, Turkey, we explore how school principals and teachers nurture an innovation climate in their schools. Using methodological triangulation that combines semi-structured interviews, participant observation, interactive training sessions, and archival data, we identify four leadership practices that shape a climate conducive to innovation in these schools: a) fostering the creativity of the members of school society or community, b) developing a collaborative learning ecosystem, c) encouraging innovative teaching through online collaborative learning spaces and ICT, and d) empowering teachers to generate an adaptable curriculum in a flexible work environment. Findings indicate the significance of building a collaborative ecosystem that enables a separation or departure from the mainstream traditional and test-oriented education system in Turkey, which in turn inspires the creativity of teachers and students in the fabric of daily school life.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).