Development Process and Innovation Decision

Development Process and Innovation Decision According to Cece Wijaya, et al (1991) there are four stages in the curriculum innovation process contained in Zainal Arifin's book (2011: 298-302), namely; a) Invention, is a step to find new things that are adaptations of existing ones. b) Development, is a development process that is often associated with basic research related to presenting the process of developing new curriculum materials. c) Diffusion, according to Rogers (1983) is a process in which innovation is communicated through certain channels continuously among members of a social system. So it can be said that diffusion is a special type of communication related to new ideas or ideas. d) Adaptation, is the stage of absorption of several important elements that need to be considered related to acceptance, time, type of renewal, adopter units, communication channels, social and cultural structures. Zainal Arifin (2011: 301-302) explains the stages that must be considered in the innovation development process, namely as follows. a) Understanding problems or needs that arise in society. b) Conducting basic and applied research, the basis of science and technology usually comes from basic research. While applied research consists of scientific investigations directed at solving practical problems. c) Development, always associated with research. d) Commercialization, is a product, manufacturing, packaging, marketing and distribution. e) Diffusion or adoption, the most crucial problem in the innovation development process is the decision to start diffusion to users (Adopters). The innovation decision process is the process of an individual or decision-making unit considering the steps to make a decision, starting from understanding the innovation, determining attitudes towards the innovation, implementing the innovation, to confirming the decision (Z. Arifin, 2011: 302). The following are five main steps in the innovation decision process explained by Zainal A. (2011: 302-303). a) Knowledge, the main step that occurs when an individual or other decision-making unit is open to innovation and gains knowledge about how to engage and function in the development of innovation. b) Persuasion, the second step that occurs when an individual or other decisionmaking unit determines a favorable or unfavorable attitude towards the innovation. c) Decision, the third step that occurs when an individual or other decision-making unit is involved in the activity of choosing to adopt or reject the innovation. d) Implementation, the fourth step that occurs when an individual or other decisionmaking unit determines the implementation of the innovation. Reinnovation is likely to occur at this implementation stage. e) Confirmation, the fifth step that occurs when an individual or other decisionmaking unit seeks support for an innovation decision that has been made, but he may reverse the previous decision if the messages conveyed are contrary to the innovation. Havelock in Z. Arifin (2011: 303) put forward three models of innovation decisions that can be taken, namely as follows. a) Research, development, and diffusion model, namely a model that views the change process as a series of rational activities when innovation is discovered, then developed, produced, and disseminated to users. b) Social interaction model, namely a model that emphasizes diffusion through the movement of delivery between individuals or between systems, with its main focus on potential recipients. c) Problem-solving model, namely a model that views the change process as an environment, starting from the existence of a need (problem) followed by finding possible solutions that can be selected and applied. As for the types of innovation decisions that can be taken and distinguished, this explanation is contained in the book Concept and Model of Curriculum Development: Concept, Theory, Principles, Procedures, Components, Approaches, Models, Evaluation & Innovation by Z. Arifin (2011: 303), namely; a) Choice Innovation Decisions, namely choices to adopt or reject an innovation made by someone who is free from decisions from members of a group of a system. b) Collective Innovation Decisions, namely choices to adopt or reject innovations made by consensus among members of a social system. c) Authority Innovation Decisions, namely choices to adopt or reject innovations that have been made by individuals in a system who have power, status or technical expertise. In the curriculum innovation process, it is also necessary to pay attention to the communication channels that are established or built. Communication channels are tools for conveying messages from individuals to other individuals, either directly or indirectly (Z. Arifin, 2011: 304). Mass media channels are all tools used to convey messages involving mass media, such as radio, television and newspapers that allow the messages to reach the audience (Z. Arifin, 2011: 304). Time is an important element in curriculum innovation activities, especially at the diffusion stage. The process included in the diffusion stage is the innovation decision process which is the beginning of individuals knowing about innovation until adoption or rejection.