Discontinuance of instructional innovations in physics education: when positive results are not enough
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15536/reducarmais.10.2026.4395Keywords:
Diffusion of Innovations Theory, case study, physics educationAbstract
The physics education literature shows that active learning strategies yield superior outcomes, yet sustained adoption remains limited. Discontinuance, whereby a teacher abandons an innovation despite favorable results, is scarcely investigated. This article analyzes this phenomenon in a case where conditions appeared favorable, drawing on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Through a single, holistic case study, a high school physics teacher who implemented three innovations at a high-standard private school was investigated. All three were discontinued despite positive learning outcomes. The analysis reveals that discontinuance resulted not from the teacher’s negative assessment, but from converging pressures within the social system. Although material compatibility was high, incompatibilities in values, norms, and perceived needs proved decisive. The study concludes that favorable material conditions are necessary but insufficient, and suggests, based on the case, the possibility of expanding Rogers’ typology to encompass discontinuance imposed by the social system.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Amélia Petter, Ives Solano Araujo, Tobias Espinosa
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