October 2026

Close the Gap: How Educational Innovations Really Spread

Many of the challenges facing Austria’s schools are already being successfully addressed in at least one learning environment. Yet these approaches are being adopted far too rarely! With the FFG-funded project “Close the Gap” , we at the Education Lab, together with Schule im Aufbruch and INNOIMPACT , we investigated how innovation transfer actually succeeds in the education system.

After conducting more than 40 interviews, 3 focus groups, 10 workshops, and receiving more than 470 survey responses, we have identified five key takeaways:

  1. Strengthening Structures Rather Than Relying Solely on Communication: Spreading the word about what’s good requires more than just visibility. Locations must have the structures, culture, and expertise to successfully adopt new approaches.
  2. Relationships trump paper: Brochures don’t make much of a difference. What does help, however, are role models and personal guidance—in other words: “Someone with experience I can call”.
  3. School leadership shapes culture: Whether people boldly take advantage of the freedom they’re given depends on the support and culture of acceptance of mistakes coming from the top.
  4. Innovation requires dedicated time: Without firmly established team and reflection time slots in the daily routine, new ideas fizzle out due to overload.
  5. Support and Recognition Build Strength: Dedicated teachers need support; we must guide them, highlight successful practices, and, above all, celebrate their successes much more often.

From Knowledge to Action: 4 Concrete Pilot Projects

To put these strategies into practice right away, we’re launching four pilot initiatives:

  1. Establishing dedicated team time: Guidelines and advice for school administrators to establish fixed collaboration times in the schedule.
  2. Senior Buddies: Retired teachers support new teachers as volunteer one-on-one mentors.
  3. Free group supervision: Regular support for educators in collaboration with supervisors in training.
  4. Participation Toolkit: Principles and methods for participatory school development, clearly organized, to try out at your own school.

by Diego Heatherman, Programs Lead, Education Lab

Learn more about our results and pilot projects at our Open House on December 2!

Registration for the Open House

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