| The Hawaiian language immersion program was developed from within a context of renewed interest in the Hawaiian culture and language and through the efforts of Hawaiian language activists and other community members interested in reviving the indigenous language. Many supporters also felt that Hawaiian language immersion was a method that could serve to increase the achievement and boost the identity, self-esteem and self-efficacy of the Hawaiian children it serves. There are many indicators that Hawaii's schools are not adequately addressing the needs of Hawaiian students. Native Hawaiians are among the lowest scoring minorities in the nation on standardized achievement tests. They are also overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in higher education (Melahn, 1986; Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1994; Takenaka, 1995).;In an effort to revive the indigenous Hawaiian language and culture, the Hawaiian language immersion program was created. A primary goal of 'Aha Punana Leo and Kula Kaiapuni, the Hawaiian Language Immersion Programs (HLIP), is to develop a strong foundation of Hawaiian culture and values for their students to help boost their self-esteem and self-efficacy (Department of Education, 1994). Hawai'i is the only state that has designated a native language, Hawaiian, as one of its two official state languages, therefore Hawaiian Language Immersion was created in part to recognize the importance of Hawaiian language use within the state of Hawai'i.;The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of Hawaiian Language Immersion Program's key informants, administrators, teachers and parents concerning the factors that contribute and diminish the innovativeness of the HLIP. The perceptions of the individuals and the groups of individuals were described and analyzed in order to determine if potential discrepancies and agreements in perceptions are present. The information provided by this research may aid, HLIP key informants, administrators, teachers and parents and be able to serve HLIP students more effectively.;This study was able to demonstrate that the HLIP, is perceived to be an innovative program through its use of Hawaiian language and culture as the medium of instruction. The results provide evidence that supports the use of Hawaiian worldview to enable innovation. Hawaiian perspective or worldview emphasizes the importance of learning from the past, applying what is learned to the present for the betterment of the future. Learning from the past is the ability to create value through new uses of existing knowledge (Jamrog, Vickers and Bear, 2006), thereby being innovative. Participants in this study also believe that the HLIP is an overall innovative program because of its medium of educating the students.;The findings of this study will assist policymakers, administrators and staff to develop policies and procedures to improve the educational status of students within the HLIP. This study recognizes that there are factors that enable innovation. It is therefore suggested that the HLIP is able to be innovative through shared communication, shared information and shared resources. |
