Systemic innovation can be defined as any kind of dynamic system-wide change that is intended to add value to the educational processes and outcomes. Systemic innovations are aimed at the improvement of the operation of the systems, their overall performance, the perceived satisfaction of the main stakeholders with the system as a whole, or all of the above. The term “systemic” should not be interpreted as if the whole educational system needs to be involved. We will consider innovations involving a number of schools, a set of actors (e.g. the teaching profession), or a certain age level within primary and secondary education as a system wide innovation. The systemic (analysis of) innovation involves the comparative investigation of how education systems or sectors go about initiating innovation, the processes involved, the knowledge base which is drawn on, and the procedures and criteria for assessing progress and outcomes.

Following this approach, a systemic analysis of innovation in education, as opposed to the study of the emergence of discrete initiatives, shall be paying attention to:

1. The conceptualisation of innovation.
2. The dynamics of innovation from a knowledge management perspective.
3. Innovation policies and their context.
4. Innovation indicators.

Currently, CERI is working under the systemic innovation approach in two different areas:

• Systemic innovation in vocational education and training, as part of a wider activity of the OECD Directorate of Education on this sector; and
• Digital learning resources as systemic innovation