4. Self-reflection questionnaire on educational establishments’ innovation culture

Koen Van Lieshout

OECD

Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin

OECD

Abstract

This chapter explores how schools’ and universities’ innovation culture could be measured using a self-reflective questionnaire. Those are short questionnaires that could be used as modules in other questionnaires with a different overall topic. They could also be used as such for an organisation reflection. The first section details related work and the focus of these questionnaires, as well as the different versions for school leaders, teaching staff, and students. Then, the definitional underpinnings and target audiences are discussed. The second part of this chapter covers the structure of the question module and some differences between the versions. Lastly, different sections of the chapter discuss each question and items, their focus, and the relevance of these items to the module. The module questionnaires themselves are presented in Annex 4.A, Annex 4.B and Annex 4.C.

    

Introduction

The short module of questions on innovation culture includes self-reflective and evaluation questions and follows other questionnaires on work culture, for instance Amabile’s questionnaire discussed in Chapter 2. The topic of innovation culture deserves a module because it provides the foundation for the other three innovation components discussed in the companion report: innovation management, knowledge and information, and resources and drivers. There are three separate versions of the module to capture the insights and reflections of school leaders, teaching staff, and students.

The module is designed to be added to existing questionnaires, such as the self-reflective SELFIE questionnaire of the European Commission, which delves into school infrastructure and capacity to engage with digitalisation. The module would complement SELFIE by collecting information on the enabling and supporting culture for innovation. It could also be used in international or domestic surveys. Another possible use is a separate administration within establishments. It shows how one could capture relevant information within a relatively small number of items.

The module begins with a description of its purpose and provides definitions of the main terms: innovation and innovation activities, with definitions from the Oslo Manual (OECD/Eurostat, 2018[1]); and creativity and critical thinking skills, with definitions taken from the report Fostering Students' Creativity and Critical Thinking: What it Means in School (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019[2]). The questionnaire is suitable for all types of educational institutions, including schools and tertiary education. It instructs school or tertiary education leaders to answer the questions for their entire institution and teachers at tertiary education institutions to answer for the part of the institution where they teach. This can either yield statistics if administered with a probability sample or lead to internal discussions within the establishments that collect the data.

Module structure

The module includes eight questions, each with several sub-questions. The student survey is considerably shorter and does not directly ask about innovation. It includes a question on the student’s year of study to contextualise their answers and permit comparisons across years or schools. Some of the questions could be more applicable to students in higher grades. Students answering yes or no to such items should be evaluated differently depending on their grade level.

With one exception, the response categories for all questions in all three versions consists of an importance scale ranging from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly disagree’ along with a “Don’t know” option. The exception is a question on obstacles to innovation, which uses an importance scale, and question 1.3 in the version for school leaders which uses the share of staff engaged in specific innovation activities.

Leadership and management

Question 1.1 asks respondents for their level of agreement with statements on the school’s leadership and management strategies. The questions probe management receptiveness and support for innovation. Several questions ask about management support for including diverse voices, such as teachers, students, and parents, in innovation activities and in providing ideas for innovations. Their inclusion collects input and knowledge from different perspectives and should be particularly important for teaching and learning innovations.

Different sub-questions are included in the three module versions. The six statements for the teacher survey cover management participation in innovation, provision of a clear vision of how changes will lead to improvements, empowering staff to innovate, encouraging students to propose innovations, giving teachers a role in innovation, and taking new ideas and proposals seriously, regardless of their source. The version for school leaders also asks if the school’s innovation strategy includes the knowledge and skills of all staff and if there are dedicated teams working on innovation that include teachers, students, and parents.

The version for students uses different language to ensure understanding, different questions to obtain student perspectives, and asks the questions in different ways. For example, the first sub-question probes if school leaders encourage students to propose new ways of doing things at the school, while the second sub-question asks students to reflect on how often the school changes how it does things (in and outside the classroom).

Approaches to the innovation process

Question 1.2 collects data on the methods used by the school to involve teachers and students in innovation and the specific ways in which teachers or students are involved. For example, the question for teachers provides statements on the respondent’s perspective on activities to support innovation (“this school has good processes in place for encouraging and developing innovative ideas”) and if the respondent has received support for involvement in innovation activities (“I am rewarded for experimenting with or improving on current practices”, “I can get the resources I need to try out new practices”, “I receive feedback for every innovative idea I suggest”). These are direct measures of the practical implications of the school’s innovation culture, including resources. Ten similar statements are included in the version for school leaders.

There is no equivalent question for students, but students are given seven statements about their involvement in activities that are related to innovation. Examples include “I have been part of groups with teachers or school leaders where we think about new ideas at my school” and “My teachers have responded to suggestions from me or other students in the class to change how they teach”.

Staff involvement in innovation and skills for innovation

Question 1.3 is similar to the second question, but for teaching staff it includes statements on the respondent’s personal involvement in innovation and their innovation skills, while the version for school leaders includes statements on the entire staff. There is no equivalent question for students.

The questions on involvement for teachers cover collaboration (“I am involved with collaborative projects with other schools on innovation in education”) and new practices (“I have adopted new practices into my daily work within the last year”). The questions on skills cover current levels (“I have the skills I need to develop innovative activities or materials”) and the effect of involvement in innovation on developing skills (“participating in innovation activities develops my professional skills”).

The collection of information on how many staff are involved in collaboration is useful as part of improving information flows with other schools, while responses to the adoption of new practices provide baseline data for the percentage of staff that are actively innovating. The question on skills determines if staff believe their skills are sufficient and combined with the perception of staff skills by school leadership, could identify whether additional training might be necessary.

Barriers to innovation

Question 1.4 is identical for school leaders and teachers and covers the importance of six factors in constraining the ability of the respondent to innovate. The question is not included in the student version of the module.

The sub-questions cover government regulations or practices, the school’s internal regulations or practices, the social context, such as community support; the respondent’s skills, a lack of resources, and frequent staff turnover. Over the short term, there is little that respondents can do about government regulations, but information on internal regulations or practices could provide feedback for the school leadership about problems, leading to a dialogue about possible changes to remove or reduce these obstacles. Issues with the social context would suggest a need for the school to build better support for innovations among its stakeholders or work with their community to identify necessary changes.

Personnel resources and knowledge inputs

Question 1.5 concerns resources for innovation and users or stakeholder involvement in innovation. Two questions on resources ask if a dedicated person is available to assist staff with innovations and if a dedicated person is responsible for applying for funding. Three questions on user or stakeholder involvement ask if teachers, students, or parents/guardians “are involved in the design or planning of innovations”. The questions are very similar for teachers and school leaders, but the question is not included in the module for students.

The presence of dedicated personnel to assist innovations or apply for funding will lower the personal costs for teachers to participate in innovation, create ‘institutional expertise’ around innovation, and ensure that there is someone who knows of funding opportunities and how to structure a funding request. The other questions determine if innovations are developed with user input, which should improve the quality and effectiveness of innovations for teaching and learning (Osborne, Radnor and Strokosch, 2016[3]; Osborne et al., 2021[4]).

Problem-solving and risk

The version of question 1.6 for teachers asks how the respondents solve problems and their attitudes to risks, while the version for school leaders asks about the school approach to risk. The question is not asked in the student version, although students are asked if they learn from their mistakes. The extent to which the school is willing to take risks affects both its likelihood to innovate and the scope of its innovations. Finding the right balance between a positive risk-taking attitude and being thorough during the innovation process is important. Pilot tests and experimentation can require acceptance of risk, but too much risk taking could result in suboptimal outcomes.

The two questions on risk for teachers address ways of managing risk: “I think it is important to take measured risks to improve teaching and learning” and “failure is acceptable, if the failure was productive (i.e. lessons were drawn)”. Learning from failures can be important for improving future innovations and creating an innovation culture that accepts appropriate risks.

The two questions on problem-solving cover the respondent’s involvement of students and solving problems in a way that is “appropriate to the task at hand”.

Approaches to innovation in teaching and learning

The eight sub-questions for teachers in question 1.7 cover creativity in teaching and learning, for instance by using “different teaching methods”, encouraging “students to explore new approaches to assignments and problems”, and “innovative teaching”. Creative problem-solving does not necessarily lead to innovation, but it is an enabling factor. Creativity implies coming up with new and ideas and solutions or connecting different concepts. The module version for students asks several questions on their creativity and use of critical thinking.

The module for school leaders does not cover creativity. Instead, it includes four sub-questions that ask about the ability of the school to absorb external innovations and develop internal innovations. These questions should be evaluated in combination with data on the teachers’ perspective on the school’s innovation culture, which is expected to influence both external and internal innovation activities.

Innovation in practice

Question 1.8 uses six sub-questions in the version for teachers to assess the current environment for innovation at the school. The sub-questions include attitudinal questions (“I prefer to do things the way I have always done them”), beliefs about the status quo at school (“current practices at this school are good enough”), and collaboration practices (“We work collaboratively across the school to develop and implement new pedagogical practices”). These sub-questions are designed to develop an innovation profile of both responding teachers and school leaders, who are asked similar questions. A willingness to change practices is particularly important for school leaders, as their attitudes are likely to affect their school’s innovation culture.

Collaboration across the school helps to diffuse knowledge about existing practices and solutions, but also ensures that different perspectives are included. The version of the module for school leaders asks for their agreement with the statement “I exchange information with managers at other schools about their practices”. External knowledge sharing among school leaders is valuable for the diffusion of quality innovations between schools and identifying problems and how to solve them.

References

[1] OECD/Eurostat (2018), Oslo Manual 2018: Guidelines for Collecting, Reporting and Using Data on Innovation, 4th Edition, The Measurement of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Activities, OECD Publishing, Paris/Eurostat, Luxembourg, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304604-en.

[4] Osborne, S., M. Cucciniello, G. Nasi and K. Strokocsh (2021), “New development: Strategic user orientation in public services delivery—the missing link in the strategic trinity?”, Public Money & Management, Vol. 41/2, pp. 172-175, https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1758401.

[3] Osborne, S., Z. Radnor and K. Strokosch (2016), “Co-Production and the Co-Creation of Value in Public Services: A suitable case for treatment?”, Public Management Review, Vol. 18/5, pp. 639-653, https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2015.1111927.

[2] Vincent-Lancrin, S., C. González-Sancho, M. Bouckaert, F. de Luca, M. Fernández-Barrerra, G. Jacotin, J. Urgel and Q. Vidal (2019), Fostering Students’ Creativity and Critical Thinking: What it Means in School, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/62212c37-en.

Annex 4.A. Innovation culture module for school leaders

Description

This is a module with questions around innovation culture at [schools]. Its purpose is to help promote self-reflection within a [school] around its processes and culture to support innovative activities. Its main aim is to gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of your innovation culture, and serve as a first step to internal discourse or efforts to improve your [school]’s innovation culture. This module could be implemented as part of [school] self-reflection surveys (such as the SELFIE survey developed by the European Commission).

This version is specific to “[SCHOOL LEADERS]”. Please answer specifically to the campus or part of the [school] you are responsible for. If you are responsible for multiple campuses, the entire [school], and/or multiple levels of education – please answer with all of those in mind. The data collected in this survey is treated confidentially. Data from the [school] leader, student, and teaching staff survey will be matched, but collected data will be treated anonymously.

All terms in [brackets] should be adapted to terms appropriate for the level of schooling, and country context.

Definitions

Terminology	Definition
Innovation	An innovation is a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the [school] (process). (OECD/Eurostat, 2018[1])
Innovation activities	[Schools] can undertake a series of actions with the intention to develop innovations. This can require dedicated resources and engagement in specific activities, including policies, processes and procedures. See also Innovation activities (business). (OECD/Eurostat, 2018[1])
Staff	Staff is defined as any employee of the [school]

MANSTR. 1.1 Do you agree with the following statements about leadership and management strategies at your [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I take an active role in developing and implementing innovations					
b. My [school]’s strategy on innovating or improving on current practices is built around the knowledge and skills of the whole staff, not just a select group					
c. [School] leadership clearly defines its vision of how advocated changes will lead to the improvement of educational outcomes					
d. [School] leadership empowers staff to innovate					
e. [School] leadership encourages students to propose innovations at this [school]					
f. There is a dedicated team(s) working on innovation in this [school] with representation of all key stakeholders (i.e. teaching staff, administrative staff, students, [school] leaders).					
g. Teaching staff take on leadership positions in the innovation process in this [school]					
h. [School] leaders take new/relevant ideas and proposals seriously regardless of their source					

EXTINP. 1.2 How would you evaluate your [school] when it comes to how it approaches the process of innovation?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. The [school] ensures all teaching staff have the financial resources and time to participate in continuous professional development and learning (CPLD) to learn about new practices in education					
b. My staff is rewarded for experimenting with or improving on current practices in their job (e.g. recognition, job benefits, financial rewards, etc)					
c. Staff can get the resources (time and financial) they need for trying out new practices					
d. My [school] entered an innovation in a relevant education innovation award competition at least once within the last two years					
e. This [school] has good processes in place for encouraging and developing innovative ideas					
f. In this [school], there is a lively and active flow of ideas and knowledge					
g. In this [school], new ideas and knowledge must be based on strong evidence to be tried out					
h. Staff receive feedback for every innovative idea they suggest					
i. Staff receive feedback for every innovative practice they implement					
j. In this [school], students are considered partners in change					

SHASTA. 1.3 What share of your staff:

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes.

Innovation activities are actions taken with the intention to develop innovations.

	0%	Less than 25%	25% to 50%	50% to 75%	75% or more	Don’t know
a. Is involved with collaborative projects with other [schools] on innovation in education						
b. Thinks of new ideas for innovative activities or materials every year						
c. Has the skills to develop innovative activities or materials						
d. Has adopted new practices into their daily work within the last year						
e. Participates at least once a year in conferences on new practices in pedagogy, teaching and learning						

SCOINO. 1.4 How important are the following factors in constraining your ability to innovate?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Very important	Somewhat important	Not important	Don’t know
a. External (e.g. governmental) regulations or practices				
b. Internal (e.g. [school]) regulations or practices				
c. The social context (e.g. the support in the community or society for innovation in general or specific innovations)				
d. The ability to change (elements of) the curriculum, assessments or pedagogy				
e. Lack of resources				
f. High staff turnover				

EMPAMO. 1.5 Please indicate whether you feel the following statements apply to your work.

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. A dedicated person (or persons) in this [school] has the time, resources, and responsibility to help staff experiment with or implement innovations					
b. A dedicated person (or persons) in this [school] is responsible for applying for funding to experiment with or implement innovations					
c. Staff is involved in the design or planning of innovations					
d. Students are involved in the design or planning of innovations					
e. Parents/guardians are involved in the design or planning of innovations					

WOVAST. 1.6 How would you evaluate the following work styles and values at your educational [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. Staff generally solve problems in new and appropriate ways					
b. I generally involve students in the problem analysis and/or proposal of solutions					
c. This [school] has a positive attitude towards taking measured risks when innovating					
d. Failure is acceptable if the failure was productive (i.e. lessons were drawn)					

TEACUL. 1.7 To what extent are the following things true when it comes to working on innovation at your [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. This [school] is strong at absorbing external innovations					
b. This [school] is strong at developing its innovations internally					
c. Current practices at this [school] are good enough					
d. We work collaboratively across the [school] to develop and implement new practices					

PERINN. 1.8 To what extent are the following things true about your personal innovation work at your [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I prefer to do things the way I have always done them					
b. I know how to improve administrative and [school] processes					
c. The current work environment is conducive to my ability to innovate					
d. I exchange information with managers at other [schools] about their practices					

Annex 4.B. Innovation culture module for teaching staff

Description

This is a module with questions around innovation culture at [schools]. Its purpose is to help promote self-reflection within a [school] around its processes and culture to support innovative activities. Its main aim is to gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of your innovation culture, and serve as a first step to internal discourse or efforts to improve your [school]’s innovation culture. This module could be implemented as part of [school] self-reflection surveys (such as the SELFIE survey developed by the European Commission).

This version is specific to “TEACHING STAFF”. Please answer specifically to the campus or part of the [school] where you teach. If you teach at multiple campuses and/or multiple levels of education – please answer with all of those in mind. The data collected in this survey is treated confidentially. Data from the [school] leader, student, and teaching staff survey will be matched, but collected data will be treated anonymously.

All terms in [brackets] should be adapted to terms appropriate for the level of schooling, and country context.

Definitions

Terminology	Definition
Innovation	An innovation is a new or improved product or process (or combination thereof) that differs significantly from the unit’s previous products or processes and that has been made available to potential users (product) or brought into use by the unit (process). (OECD/Eurostat, 2018[1])
Innovation activities	Institutional units can undertake a series of actions with the intention to develop innovations. This can require dedicated resources and engagement in specific activities, including policies, processes and procedures. See also Innovation activities (business). (OECD/Eurostat, 2018[1])
Creativity	Creativity means coming up with new ideas and solutions. It entails: Making connections to other concepts and knowledge from the same or other disciplines; Generating and playing with unusual or radical ideas; Producing, performing, or envisioning a meaningful output that is personally novel; Reflecting on the novelty of the solution and its possible consequences
Critical thinking skills	Critical thinking means questioning and evaluating ideas and solutions. It entails: Identifying and questioning assumptions and generally accepted ideas or practices; Considering several perspectives on a problem based on different assumptions; Being able to consider other theories and perspectives.
Staff	Staff is defined as any employee of the [school]

MANSTR. 1.1 Do you agree with the following statements about leadership and management strategies at your [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. Leaders at my [school] take an active role in developing and implementing innovations					
b. Leaders at my [school] clearly define their vision of how the advocated changes will lead to the improvement of certain educational outcomes					
c. Leaders at my [school] empower staff to innovate					
d. Leaders at my [school] encourage students to propose innovations at this school					
e. Leaders at my [school] give teaching staff leadership positions in the innovation process					
f. Leaders at my [school] take new/relevant ideas and proposals seriously regardless of their source					

EXTINP 1.2 How would you evaluate your [school] when it comes to how it approaches the process of innovation?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. The [school] ensures I have the financial resources and time to participate in continuous professional development and learning (CPLD) to learn about new practices in education					
b. I am rewarded for experimenting with or improving on current practices in my job (e.g. recognition, job benefits, financial rewards, etc)					
c. I can get the resources (time and financial) I need to try out new practices					
d. I participate at least once a year in conferences on new practices in pedagogy, teaching and learning					
e. This [school] has good processes in place for encouraging and developing innovative ideas					
f. In this [school], there is a lively and active flow of ideas and knowledge					
g. In this [school], new ideas and knowledge must be based on strong evidence to be tried out					
h. I receive feedback for every innovative idea I suggest					
i. I receive feedback for every innovative practice I implement					
j. In this [school], students are considered partners in change					

INOPRA 1.3 To what extent do you agree with the following statements about your involvement in innovation?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes.

Innovation activities are actions taken with the intention to develop innovations.

	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree	Don’t know
a. I am involved with collaborative projects with other [schools] on innovation in education					
b. I think of new ideas for innovation activities or materials every year					
c. I have the skills I need to develop innovative activities or materials					
d. Participating in innovation activities develops my professional skills					
e. I have adopted new practices into my daily work within the last year					

SCOINO. 1.4 How important are the following factors in constraining your ability to innovate in your job?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Not important	Somewhat important	Very important	Don’t know/not relevant
a. External (e.g. governmental) regulations or practices				
b. Internal (e.g. [school]) regulations or practices				
c. The social context (e.g. the support in the community or society for innovation in general or specific innovations)				
d. My skills to develop innovative materials and activities (curriculum, assessments or pedagogy)				
e. Lack of resources				
f. Frequent turnover of [school] leaders				

EMPAMO 1.5 Please indicate whether you feel the following statements apply to your [school].

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. A dedicated person in this [school] has the time, resources and responsibility to help staff experiment with or implement innovations					
b. A dedicated person in this [school] is responsible for applying for funding to experiment with or implement innovations					
c. [Teachers] are involved in the design or planning of innovations					
d. Students are involved in the design or planning of innovations					
e. Parents/guardians are involved in the design or planning of innovations					

WOVAST. 1.6 How would you evaluate the following work styles and values at your [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I generally solve problems in new ways that seem appropriate to the task at hand					
b. I generally involve students in the problem analysis and/or proposal of solutions					
b. I think it is important to take measured risks to improve teaching and learning					
c. Failure is acceptable if the failure was productive (i.e. lessons were drawn)					

FLALRC. 1.7 To what extent do you agree with these statements around teaching and learning?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I encourage students to explore new approaches to assignments or problems					
b. I encourage students to explore different kinds of study methods					
c. I use different teaching methods (e.g. by explaining things in different ways or using different mediums to do so)					
d. Innovative teaching helps students develop their creativity					
e. Innovative teaching helps students develop their critical thinking					
f. I know how to improve my teaching methods					
g. I believe the practices I currently use in my teaching are good enough					

TEACUL. 1.8 To what extent are the following things true when it comes to working on innovation at your [school]?

An innovation is a new or improved product or process that differs significantly from the [school]’s previous products or processes

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I prefer to do things the way I have always done them					
b. The current work environment is conducive to my ability to innovate in my teaching					
c. We work collaboratively across the [school] to develop and implement new pedagogical practices					
d. Current practices at this [school] are good enough					
e. I exchange information with my colleagues about the teaching and learning methods we use					
f. I have mentored other teaching staff (internally or externally) about how to develop or adopt new practices in the last year.					

Annex 4.C. Innovation culture module for students

Description

This is a module with questions around innovation culture at [school]. Its purpose is to help promote self-reflection within a [school] around its processes and culture to support innovative activities. Its main aim is to gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of your innovation culture, and serve as a first step to internal discourse or efforts to improve your [school]’s innovation culture. This module could be implemented as part of [school] self-reflection surveys (such as of the SELFIE survey from developed by the European Commission).

This version is specific to “STUDENTS’. The data collected in this survey is treated confidentially. Data from the [school] leader, student, and teaching staff survey will be matched, but collected data will be treated anonymously.

All terms in [brackets] should be adapted to terms appropriate for the level of schooling, and country context.

Module questions

AGEGRP 1.1 What year of study are you in?

Year: _______

MANSTR. 1.2 Do you agree with the following statements about your [school]?

School leaders mean the principal, dean, or others that may be in charge at your [school].

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. [School] leaders encourage students to propose new ways of doing things in my [school]					
b. This [school] often changes how it does things (in the classroom and outside of the classroom)					
c. Students are asked to test or share their opinions on new solutions throughout the process of changing things at the [school] – not just at the end.					
d. If I come up with a new idea about changing what or how to learn, teaching staff will take my idea seriously					
e. If I come up with an idea about changing [school] rules or actions, [teachers] and [school] leaders will take my idea seriously					
f. If I come to [teachers] and [school] leaders with a problem or issue, they take my report seriously					

EXTINP 1.3 How well do you think the following types of communication around new ideas work at your [school]?

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I know who to talk to or what to do if I want to propose a new idea to change things in my [class] or in the [school]					
b. It is easy to talk to teaching staff or [school] leaders about your ideas on how to improve teaching, learning or [school] life					
c. I would never dare to propose a new idea to change anything in the [school] or in my [classes]					

NEWIDE 1.4 Do the following statements apply to you when thinking about new ideas for your [school]?

	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I have been part of groups with [teachers] or [school] leaders where we think about new ideas at my [school]					
b. I know students who are involved in the design or planning of new ideas with [teachers] or school leaders					
c. I get to share my opinion on new projects or plans at my [school] with [teachers] or [school] leaders					
d. I have been asked to share my ideas about how to put in place new ideas/practices at my [school] with [teachers] or [school] leaders					
e. I have many ideas about how to change things at my [school]					
f. My [teachers] have responded to suggestions from me or other students in the [class] to change how they teach					
g. When something changes at my [school], the [school] lets my parents/custodians and I know					

WOVAST 1.5 Do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your work for [school] (both in and out of class, including homework)?

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. I like to solve problems in new ways that seem to fit the task					
b. I take some risks with the way I do assignments or homework					
c. [Teachers] find it is ok for me to make mistakes, as long as I have learnt from them.					
d. [Teachers] reward me for having new ideas or new ways to do my [school] work					
e. I prefer to do things the way I have always done them					
f. I would love to be more creative or critical in my [school] work, but [teachers] expect us to just repeat what they said Creativity means coming up with new ideas and solutions Critical thinking means questioning and evaluating ideas and solutions					
g. I exchange information with other students about the learning and study methods we use					

FLALRC 1.6 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement about your [classes]?

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t know
a. My [teacher] encourages me to try new ways to do assignments or solve problems in the course	w				
b. My [teacher] encourages me to try different kinds of learning methods					
c. My [teacher] uses different ways to explain things to help students understand the topic					
d. I am learning how to be more creative at this [school] Creativity means coming up with new ideas and solutions					
e. I am learning how to think more critically at this [school] Critical thinking means questioning and evaluating ideas and solutions					