MEDICAL FACULTY'S PERCEPTION OF FACTORS WHICH AFFECT THE ADOPTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL INNOVATIONS (CHANGE)

This study used the initial four-stage model of Rogers and Shoemaker (1971) to analyze the innovation-decision process among the medical faculty members of the University of Jordan in Amman. More specifically, this study investigated (1) the innovations that individual faculty members had adopted after attending a three-day series of workshops on Construction of Examination Questions for Medical Students; and (2) the factors they perceived as having influenced them in adopting or not adopting the given innovations.;A case study approach was taken toward the analysis of the instructional innovation process. The instruments utilized to gather data pertinent to each stage of the innovation-decision process included the analysis of workshop documents and a structured interview schedule conducted with a random sample of 42 faculty members concerning their adoption of innovative practices.;The results showed that the adoption of instructional innovations involves a process consisting of several interrelated stages as described by Rogers and Shoemaker (1971). However, the study also found indications of an additional stage, namely the implementation of innovation. This confirms Rogers' (1983) revised conceptualization of the innovation-decision model.;The four major factors identified as influencing faculty members in their adoption of innovations were: (1) faculty development programs; (2) personal conviction, motivation and experience; (3) availability of time; and (4) organizational support. The findings of this study support those identified in the literature on innovation in higher education. However, the availability of time was more important than the literature indicated and the organizational support factor included more extensive dimensions than found in other studies.;The study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan. The population selected to provide information regarding the process of adoption of instructional innovations and factors influencing their adoption were 54 full-time teaching staff. They had all participated in one of the three-day workshops conducted during 1984-85.;The results, however, did not indicate reward and recognition as a major factor as reported in the literature. The existence of an educational influential as a factor influencing faculty members to adopt instructional innovations was also minimal.