Preocupări științifice actuale privind promovarea culturii inovării prin cercetarea pedagogică acțională în învățământul superior

Abstract

This article highlights scientific insights into current theoretical interpretations and trends in fostering an innovation culture within higher education, informed by the innovative approaches to education outlined in policy documents: the increasing demands of the labor market for the development of research, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills; the need to enhance the innovative potential of university teaching staff to cultivate research and entrepreneurial skills among students; and the transition of higher education institutions from a traditional education model to an innovative scientific education model, a shift that underscores the challenge of managing innovative processes in the academic environment. From the perspective of scientific debates on the significance of an innovation culture and pedagogical action research, the article presents a framework emphasizing the need to design and implement pedagogical action research (PAR) for the professional development of teachers responsible for shaping students' innovative behavior. Promoting an innovation culture has become a key objective of innovative management in university research infrastructure, particularly in the context of methodological concerns regarding the scientific conceptualization of innovation culture and its development within both faculty and student environments. The article outlines original scientific contributions, including the concept of an innovation-oriented culture among university teaching staff in terms of the values of pedagogical culture, innovation culture, university management, personal development, and the mechanisms of professional development through PAR. Another original contribution discussed in the article is the Model of Innovation Culture in Higher Pedagogical Education, which reflects the innovative management of available resources for pedagogical action research. In this context, the article develops the idea of creating a University Office for the Implementation of Innovation Policies. This office would engage university structures responsible for promoting innovation culture, following stages set in accordance with the provisions of innovation policies related to the professional development system for teaching staff. The main challenges addressed in the article include aligning innovation culture with institutional objectives to overcome teaching staff resistance to change, as well as identifying mechanisms that could foster the sustainable implementation of innovative practices in higher education. Promoting an innovation culture can unfold within the context of innovative processes initiated through relevant and effective management, a complex, multifactorial, and multifunctional phenomenon. For these reasons, the valorization of innovation policies in higher education and general education will enhance the consolidation of innovative potential and innovation transfer, ultimately ensuring the competitiveness of teaching staff in the labor market.