Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions

International Journal of Social Science and Human Research ISSN (print): 2644-0679, ISSN (online): 2644-0695 Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 DOI: 10.47191/ijsshr/v8-i12-63, Impact factor8.007 Page No: 9704-9714 IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9704 Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions Mohamed ACHAMRAH Sultan Moulay Sliman University, FLHS, Beni Mellal, Morocco ABSTRACT: Innovative teaching is a thought-provoking and prevalent term in Moroccan higher education discourse, predominantly in many reforms, policies, and strategic visions of education. In this regard, professors at Moroccan universities are frequently encouraged to engage in innovative teaching. It is less evident, though, how this actually works in practice and whether there is a consensus in the context of Moroccan higher education. Innovative education is currently a strategic goal for Moroccan universities. However, achieving this goal requires understanding what innovative teaching means to university instructors in terms of their methods. This study questions the assumption that Moroccan university instructors share a common understanding of what constitutes innovative teaching, aiming to address the dearth of academic discussion on the subject. This study examines the qualitatively diverse perspectives and understandings of innovative teaching held by Moroccan university tutors using a phenomenographic technique. A cross-examination of 15 Moroccan university professors with varying backgrounds and educational experiences at Moroccan Higher Education institutions was conducted. The results of this study could add to the body of knowledge on how instructors at Moroccan universities view innovative teaching, shedding light on strategies and discussions about it within and beyond institutions, as well as within the broader Moroccan higher education community. KEYWORDS: Higher Education, Innovative Teaching, Innovative Practice, Pedagogical Approaches? University Instructors. 1INTRODUCTION Morocco's higher education system has experienced a dramatic change. The objective is to turn Moroccan higher education into an environment that fosters creativity and cognitive development through innovative teaching and pedagogical approaches that reinforce bachelor's, master's, and doctoral (LMD) degrees. Course advancements, which emphasise digital environments and technology to enhance program supply and respond to market requirements, demonstrate this shift and boost competitiveness. In this regard, Babić and Nedelko (2020) contend that innovation is essential for 21st-century educational establishments. Similarly, Chen and Huang (2017) argue that education must be oriented toward creativity and innovation. In fact, for Moroccan higher education to consistently develop knowledge, more extensive integration and encouragement of innovation are required. But not everyone is flexible or ready for innovative strategies. According to Christensen et al. (2012), university teachers must therefore be intrinsically motivated to address these frequent changes in knowledge. Teachers can often adapt to diverse interests within the academic community, even though they are inherently focused on delivering high-quality education. However, good teaching takes time (Berg & Seeber, 2016). The 2020 global health pandemic, COVID-19, has put these presuppositions to the test. An influenza-like illness shut down entire economies, and many educational institutions were forced to rely solely on Internet-based emergency remote instruction (Hodges et al., 2020). Many academic institutions and teachers hurriedly assessed their readiness for remote instruction overnight. People rotated between in-person and online education since they were forced to live alone at home. The need for educators to be adaptable, for learning to be responsive, and for others to understand how innovative practices can be maintained and supported in a dynamic, shared, and educational environment is supported by the epidemic, even though it is not the topic of this study. Both student attendance and learning engagement are common problems. Additionally, both teachers and students experience a period of uncertainty as a result. This still poses a challenge in some cases, as it limits higher education institutions' capacity to address persistent problems effectively. More time is required to evaluate the functions and content of higher education offerings to better respond to students' changing needs and the evolving teaching environment (Enders & Musselin, 2008). By reorienting higher education toward a more socially responsive objective, this notion of education as a public benefit promotes calls for explanations and solutions to the expanding socioeconomic concerns plaguing society. Similarly, Serdyukov Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9705 (2017) asserts that education is "indispensable" (p. 4) for society to survive and thrive, and that this requires ongoing development. Therefore, to fulfil its role and meet these needs, education must innovate and adapt. Furthermore, Buckley (2012) contends that for institutions to remain competitive and long-lasting in the higher education market, they must learn to exchange knowledge and adopt innovative techniques. This study aims to comprehend university instructors' experiences with innovative methods. It also aims to address one of the main questions driving this research: How can organisational characteristics support this? University instructors must find satisfactory solutions to the challenges they encounter because both internal and external factors can affect their work. A person's level of concern, power, agency, and the people who are similar to them, including those in decision-making positions, will all have a significant impact on the response. 2PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study will improve our knowledge of innovative teaching in Moroccan higher education (HE) policy and practice by offering fresh perspectives. It also examined Moroccan university professors' perceptions of innovative teaching using a phenomenographic technique. The primary purposes of the study are to identify notable variations in perceptions of innovative teaching and to discuss the implications of this new understanding for innovative teaching methods and policies in higher education. In addition to practitioners themselves, other crucial stakeholders interested in these findings and their implications for practice include students, parents, professional development coordinators, Higher Education managers, legislators, and employers. 3OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Alvesson and Sandberg (2011) argue that challenging the assumptions that underpin the corpus of prior research yields a more interesting study. In terms of higher education strategy, policy, and practice, it is questionable whether there is a standard definition of "innovative teaching" and whether it is desirable for innovative teaching to be widely adopted. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1. To challenge the idea that scholars have a common understanding of what constitutes innovative instruction. 2. To critically analyse the literature review on themes in the data and innovative teaching in higher education. 3. A phenomenographic approach will be used to determine conceptual frameworks and explore the perspectives of Moroccan higher education professors about innovative teaching. 4RESEARCH QUESTIONS The primary inquiry for the study is: What qualitatively different ideas and experiences do Moroccan university instructors have with innovative teaching? The following follow-up questions might be used to address this research question: a) What does innovative teaching entail to Moroccan university instructors, and how do they describe it? b) What significant differences exist between their perceptions? b) How do their divergent points of view interact? and d) How might this knowledge be applied to guide their practice? 5REVIEW OF LITERATURE As discussed in the introduction, innovation has gained popularity in Moroccan higher education. Journal names that use the word "innovation," like "International Journal for Innovation Education and Research," serve as examples of this. The use of phrases such as "pedagogic innovation," "innovative approach," or "innovative teaching" in headlines and excerpts is also evident in numerous books and journal articles. Therefore, it would be improbable that a report of this size would include a thorough literature review on this multidisciplinary subject. The primary focus of this study's framework is the concept of innovation and its potential relationship to the research applicants' vision of innovative teaching in Moroccan higher education. For the sake of this study, Moroccan higher education in particular provides the context for innovative instruction. Both students and the organisations that encourage their participation in higher education have changed over time. Morocco's higher education landscape has changed due to shifts in societal and governmental policies, including the marketisation of higher education and an increased focus on meeting industrial demands. Furthermore, technological advances have significantly changed society; it can be argued that graduates will work in a very different environment in the twenty-first century than their predecessors. As society, government, and policy have changed, so too have students' and other stakeholders' expectations for their time in higher education. Professional development teams have therefore endeavoured to address educators' growing needs. This dynamic environment has created both opportunities and challenges for innovative teaching in Moroccan higher education. It makes sense to argue that teachers need a teaching idea to understand innovative instruction. They are typically positioned along a spectrum of concepts that includes teacherand student-centeredness, information transmission, and learning facilitation. In this respect, Kember and Gow (1994) assert that a teacher's pedagogical orientation significantly influences their methodologies, course design, and teaching style, all of which affect students' learning. According to Long, Cummins, and Waugh (2017, p. 180), Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9706 "there is a substantial relationship between instructors' pedagogical ideas and their deployment of pedagogical innovations." The conventional definition of pedagogy, which includes teaching theory, practice, and technique, falls short of capturing the term's complexity. Beetham & Sharpe (2013, p. 3) state that discussing pedagogy initiates a "dialogue between theory and rehearsal, as well as between learning and teaching." If a teacher's pedagogical views are grounded in research on human learning, they are likely to shape how they perceive innovative teaching. The professionalisation of teaching in higher education, as well as the growth of pedagogy and teaching and learning scholarship, present chances for innovative teaching as people, institutions, and the larger sector consider what teaching should or may look like. In Morocco, the conversation around higher education currently portrays creative teaching as something that ought to be deliberately encouraged to raise the status of both practitioners and institutions. For instance, "Innovative teaching is required for all teachers to meet the educational needs of the future generations." (Abdellatif Miraoui, Morocco's Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, 2023). https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/11/345614/higher-education-ministryexpands-training-programs-in-the-south This paper's primary objective is to understand what creative teaching comprises. Many scholars have outlined the characteristics of innovative teaching to help practitioners understand what it entails. These can be identified at a suitable level or grouped into themes or creative instructional components. The term can be conceptualised in various ways, especially in the context of innovative teaching practices. Novelty, change, techno-pedagogy, reflection, improvement, application, and human interactions (with regard to the instructor) are the topics of innovative education, according to Walder (2014). They offer a comprehensive explanation of creative pedagogy, summarising their research as follows: Unlike the commonly used methods, it is a new way of teaching; it is personalised and surprises students. Subsequently, it heralds a change driven by a transitory adaptation to pedagogical purposes and the new student profile. It stems from a reproduction that is pedagogical, intellectual, creative, psychological, and sustained, and that outlines itself increasingly through a multi-level, multi-impact method connected both to the audience and to the discipline or the technology, and that wishes to develop quality, like a desire to make the issue understood and foster success. (Walder, 2014, p.200) Students' perceptions of conventional instruction and, by extension, what academics (the participants) regard as typical practice are what make this situation distinctive. The contrast between innovative teaching and what is considered normal practice is one of the major topics I will return to in the discussion section. Boden (2019) also examines academics' efforts to innovate instruction. I'm not sure how creative teaching differs from effective teaching practice because it appears to show a developmental cycle for improving teaching practice rather than an invention cycle. Maybe it utilises the term "innovate" to refer to the process by which academics become exceptional or exemplary professors in their profession, which is a unique use of the phrase, or it relates to the inventive as a label category above. I have discussed the term "innovative teaching" in this section and how studies that use it without providing definitions or explanations may lead to misconceptions. After that, I reviewed research studies to learn more about teachers and innovative teaching. The lack of literature on the crucial topic of innovative teaching, and the tendency in prior research to seek a comprehensive description rather than analyse differences in perceptions, suggest that this study could increase our awareness and appreciation of the field. 6RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This part examines the choices I made during the planning of my research study and the reasons behind them. I begin by reviewing the elements I considered when choosing a research approach. This involves discussing my philosophical position and justifying the qualitative study I did. I then discuss why I decided on phenomenography as my research methodology and consider how these variables interact. In the second section, I discuss phenomenography as a research methodology in detail and how it affected my research design. The research methods I used to collect data are then covered in the next section. The final section discusses the ethical concerns pertinent to this research project. I use "methodology" to refer to the study or analysis of research strategy and methodological principles and "research approach" to refer to the type of study being carried out, following SavinBaden and Major (2013). Whether intentional, complex, thoughtful, or not, decisions can characterise the research process, particularly the methods employed. When choosing a research methodology, ensure that the ontology, epistemology, research questions, research approach, techniques, and analysis are aligned (Major and Savin-Baden, 2013). Thematic analysis, the most similar alternative approach I examined, is frequently mistaken for phenomenography, according to my literature review. The "deliberate and rigorous" method of thematic analysis enables the "identifying, analysing, and reporting of patterns or themes within data" (Braun and Clarke, 2006, p. 79). The two approaches have different goals and outcomes, despite certain similarities. Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9707 The primary objective of thematic analysis techniques is to identify commonalities in the dataset and key themes associated with, but not necessarily related to, the phenomenon. Phenomenography, on the other hand, examines the notable variations in the conceptualisation of the phenomena in the dataset. Thematic analysis can be used both independently and in conjunction with theory because it is a data analysis technique rather than a research methodology (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Phenomenography, according to Marton and Pong (2005, p. 335), is an empirical qualitative research method that "aims to examine the qualitatively different ways in which people understand a particular phenomenon." However, this variance is limited and typically happens in small quantities (Tight, 2016). The objective is to examine the range of conceptions within a sample population rather than focusing on a single person's ideas. "Phenomenography does not tell you what individuals' methods of seeing something are," contend Marton and Pang (2013, p. 31). It highlights the disparities in their perspectives. This leads to a better understanding of the subject being studied, which, in this instance, is innovative teaching. Ten to twenty-five persons are usually interviewed in phenomenographic studies; the objective is to gather sufficient data to detect variance without providing the researcher with too much information for practical analysis (Tight, 2016; Akerlind, 2005b; Trigwell, 2000). The study's participants were selected based on potential variations in their perspectives on innovative teaching. Making educated predictions about probable contributing variables to variance without prior notions about what the study will reveal is at odds with this approach. The researcher asked participants from diverse backgrounds, including age, discipline, culture, and teaching experience, to broaden the range of perspectives. The audio recordings and transcriptions were completed following each interview. I personally transcribed the interviews to find out more details. Ethical considerations are taken into account at every level of the research and writing process, as ethics is a constant negotiation across all aspects of the process, from design choices to methods and techniques to writing (Sikes, 2006). Potential participants were contacted by email and given a participant information sheet before providing consent, allowing them time to think it over and ask any questions. Participants were given consent papers so they could ask questions and receive information. 7DATA ANALYSIS The highly repetitive phenomenographic analysis method I employed to extract meaning from the data gathered from 15 participant interviews is detailed in this section. Data analysis is the complex process of "making sense of the data and of making meaning" (Merriam and Tisdell, 2016, p. 202). Reassembling the data after "breaking data into meaningful parts to examine them" is necessary to address the research issue or questions (Savin-Baden and Major, 2013, p. 434). An interpretivist paradigm states that data analysis entails the researcher actively interacting with the data. Since Bowden (2005) states that it is advisable to wait until all interviews are finished before beginning analysis to prevent inadvertently affecting later interviews, I started my data analysis by transcribing. As I started transcribing the content, I came to understand it and began to comprehend the participants' meanings and ideas. I decided how to depict the conversation in the transcript based on my analysis. Listening to the interviews made it easier to find meaning in the way things are expressed rather than just what is said, and I was able to apply this to my analysis of the written transcripts. I read each transcript multiple times to understand the facts as a whole and in detail. As I read each transcript, I made notes in the margins on what struck my eye, what was unusual or fascinating, and any ideas the participants emphasised or restated. I didn't ignore any parts or assign any importance to anything that might or might not be important. I tried to find interpretations in the data that showed how participants interpreted innovative teaching using the previously indicated techniques. Identifying characteristics of the phenomenon that appear in some transcripts but not others is the initial step in this approach. In the first rounds, my key terms and meanings were referred to as characteristics. From the participant's point of view, I thought each component in the data represented an aspect of innovative instruction. To differentiate between what was and was not a description category, however, more procedures and iterations were required. I choose to continue utilising Braun and Clarke's (2006) phase 2 methodology and code my data, as it "makes it easier to examine data, make comparisons, and identify patterns worthy of additional investigation," as previously covered in this section. I also selected NVivo software to view the project from multiple locations. I have used a structural and referential framework to analyse the data, delving deeper into the ideas and their connections. I have linked the description category, which describes how one experiences things, to the referential element, which is the meaning of the experience. The structural aspect concerns the structure of the outcome space, including the focus of each description category and the relationships among the categories. The results of this methodology are shown in the Results section. 8RESEARCH FINDINGS After providing a detailed explanation of the data analysis process in the preceding section, I use a phenomenographic lens to present the study's findings. The first conclusion is that the data showed a range of practitioners' experiences with innovative teaching. I begin by introducing the outcome space as a representation of the qualitatively different categories that characterise practitioners' Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9708 experiences with innovative teaching and the relationships among them. I also represent the hierarchical structure and visual depiction of the categories. I then go over the salient features of each group independently, highlighting the distinctions with a few comments from interviews. The graphic in Figure 1 is the most effective way to summarise the description categories and their interactions in this study. This graphical representation efficiently communicates this data and enables the reader to comprehend the linkages, making them easier to understand than tables. In Figure 1, the various categories of description are shown with greater detail in the diagram. Numerous categories are used to represent participants' experiences. Experiences from any or all of the aforementioned categories may be displayed by an individual with a multidimensional consciousness. Figure 1: Visual Illustration and Representation of Findings Participants' experiences are represented in multiple categories. A person with a multifaceted consciousness may exhibit experiences from any or all of the categories above. The data revealed distinct yet related patterns of significant variation in participants' encounters with innovative instruction. In comparison, one set focused on the fundamental concept of innovative education, the other emphasised novelty, a crucial element of innovation. These descriptive categories were too dissimilar to be represented in a single outcome space, but too entwined to be displayed as separate outcome spaces. The primary focus of this study is to clarify how participants understand the concept of "innovative teaching" and how they apply it in qualitatively diverse ways to their work. In analysing the interview data, two integrated yet separate sets of critical variance categories emerged in participants' experiences with innovative education. One set focused on the core phenomenon of innovative teaching, while the other set focused on novelty, the essential component of innovation. The qualitatively distinct perspectives on innovative teaching identified in the data are presented in Section A. These four classifications are (1) Pedagogical Alignment, (2) Personal Innovative Development, and (3) Teaching and Assessment Activities. Unlike what teachers typically do, data from this study, Section B, revealed other distinctive categories, namely, (a) What is new to the Higher Education context, (b) What is new to university teachers and (c) Different to what teachers usually do. These categories are qualitatively distinct ways of perceiving novelty as a component of innovative and creative education. Below is a more detailed explanation of these groups and their relationships. 8-1Section A: Innovative Teaching This section of the findings focuses primarily on the topic under study: innovative teaching. It clarifies the qualitatively diverse ways in which participants understand and implement the concept of "innovative teaching" in their work. The analysis of the interview data revealed four qualitatively distinct and logically related categories of description. 8-1-1Category 1: Pedagogical Alignment Innovative teaching in this category is defined as making creative modifications to a module, course, or other learning episode to better align with one's values of good pedagogy. The focus is on the episode of learning and the educational approach it embodies. Instead of the activity itself, it focuses on the pedagogical approach, the theory, and the activity's aim. Since the pedagogical approach is considered the ideal method of instruction, it is highly value-based. Innovative Teaching Teaching and Assessment Activities Personal Innovative Development Different to what Teachers usually do New to University Teachers New to the Higher education context Pedagogic Alignment Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9709 There was a sense of personal fulfilment when university instructors innovated their teaching to align the episode with their pedagogical principles. One prominent characteristic of this group was the limitations and constraints imposed by institutional processes. For a learning episode to be considered creative teaching when taking into account the teaching of others, it had to be unique and consistent with their values of excellent pedagogy. Traditional didactic methods were often contrasted with the ideal of excellent pedagogy. This illustrates the widespread belief among academics that conventional, didactic teaching methods are the standard in higher education. While discussing digital approaches as an innovative educational activity, the participants make clear that this is not the same as innovative pedagogy. Thus, demonstrating that an understanding of innovative teaching as pedagogy-focused encompasses awareness of it as instructional and evaluation activities. The following quotation is particularly noteworthy because it illustrates the inclusive link between the aforementioned categories. We've got to teach them about [topic], so instead of talking about it, we'll show them a video that they can click on in Blackboard. …it's not innovative in any way in terms of the approach to learning; it's just innovative in the approach to delivery of learning materials. [Participant 12] Although participants' definitions of "good pedagogy" differed, innovative teaching was perceived in this context as aligning with course design. This is significant in relation to research on academic awareness and comprehension of various pedagogies. Within this pedagogical alignment category, divergent perspectives on what makes for effective pedagogy can be divided into two groups. Student-centred, active learning comprises the first subcategory, while real-world professional activities include the second. These subcategories are not categories in and of themselves, but they do share the idea that innovative teaching is about pedagogical alignment, preserving the qualitative distinction of the primary category. They do, however, need more attention as subcategories because they are unique. Participant (10) quotation illustrates this category. The innovation in the interesting session was that it was not teacher-centric. The focus was on students. … I think innovation is anything that includes student engagement. [Participant 10] In this respect, Innovative teaching is sometimes thought of as being nearly synonymous with Student-centred, active learning. Innovative teaching was defined as any approach that uses a student-centred methodology. This category placed great emphasis on the student experience and was deemed adequate if it met students' needs, wants, and preferences. 8-1-2Category 2: Personal Innovative Development This group views Innovative teaching as an opportunity for individual creative growth. It centres on the practitioner's creative act, which is articulated as "I came up with something" or "I created something." This category does not prioritise pedagogical alignment, but it requires awareness of teaching and assessment activities. The creative process of designing innovative learning experiences with a strong sense of ownership is at the forefront of this category. It characterises an internal emphasis on opportunism, inventiveness, and individual autonomy. Emotions of enjoyment, challenge, and self-learning were frequently strongly associated wth this category. There was a desire to learn, to explore and find new things, and even to enjoy the rush of adrenaline that comes with taking chances. There is a feeling that "I have changed", that "I have created something", that "it was my idea", and that "I own it". This category emphasises developing oneself as a teacher and expanding one's skill set. It involves being imaginative, coming up with new ideas, or attempting new things for enjoyment and personal challenge. To promote a strong sense of ownership and creative invention, this may entail incorporating techniques from other sources into one's teaching methodology. Once more, even though the activities are part of the context, the practitioner remains the primary focus. When it goes well, it boosts self-esteem and adds interest to the role. There is also the belief that it is the duty of a competent teacher to engage in reflective practice, which should lead to challenging one's own methods and attempting to do better by trying something else. The following quotations from participants highlight this category: I was trying to come up with ideas for what I can offer students to help them. I piloted initially with small workshops…And then I reflected on that and said, Okay, what can I change to attract more students? So, this is how I came up with the idea of… [Participant 03] This category includes awareness of the other categories and represents the most nuanced perspective of innovative teaching found in the data. It demonstrates that the participant's perspective on the profession and teaching practice is shaped by their experience with innovative teaching. Innovative teaching is viewed as an essential component of what we should do as educators, a continuous process of introspection and improvement via cutting-edge methods. It transcends both as a more sophisticated way to experience innovative instruction, integrating the augmentation of learning events and a sense of selfdevelopment. It could be solution-driven, looking for areas for improvement, or opportunistic, seeking new methods to integrate into one's own practice or setting. Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9710 8-1-3Category 3: Teaching and Assessment Activities With an emphasis on practice, this category characterises individuals who engage in innovative teaching as a novel teaching and evaluation activity. In this category, the focus was on the particular classroom (or analogous space) activity itself, in its immediate context, how it is occurring, and what is happening, even though participants were asked to consider their entire teachingrelated activities as the context for the interview. It sees instruction as taking place in the classroom. It does not explicitly account for learning design, the theory guiding practice, or other elements that could be incorporated into a teaching concept. Students' and other participants' roles are also overlooked and not explicitly accounted for. Participants who express this view refer to the delivery tactics, tools, technologies, and equipment used in teaching, as well as the classroom itself. Assessment activities were specified even though classroom practice was the predominant manifestation of this category. The emphasis is on the actual classrooms, or online locations, where instruction takes place. This category was characterised by the use of digital approaches, including online resources (e.g., videos), polls during lectures, and online multiplechoice exams. This category also involves emphasising the importance of risk and exploration. These characteristics are highlighted prominently in this category, even though they are present in all categories and are therefore not a critical variety. It involves experimenting to determine if it improves or resolves an issue. The primary risk discussed was whether students would enjoy or participate in the activity, as well as the potential impact on student opinion and course metrics if it was poorly received or did not proceed as planned. Another significant issue was technology failure, which was associated with the emphasis on using digital technologies as an expression of this category. For the exercise to qualify as innovative teaching, it has to be successful. The following quotations from different participants highlight this category. So, as a definition of innovation … I would probably focus on the delivery methods, like again using technology … and then try to see if even the space has to do with the learning of the students, or if you even need to change the space and go outside and do the learning under different circumstances completely. [Participant 08] From my point of view, innovation is progressing and keeping up with contemporary teaching methods. [Participant 05] This category was notable for its use of digital approaches, such as online resources. This category also involves emphasising the importance of risk and exploration. These characteristics are highlighted prominently in this category, even though they are present in all categories and thus not a critical variant aspect. It involves experimenting to see if something improves or resolves a problem. 8-2Section B: Novel Three qualitatively different and logically connected categories of description of the novel feature of innovative teaching were found in the interview data, according to the analysis. The researcher has named them (a) What is new to the Higher Education context, (b) What is new to university teachers and (c) Different to what Teachers usually do. Since "novel" is a general term that conveys the idea that the three perspectives are about difference/originality and innovation. To distinguish between innovation and development, or good reflective practice, the novelty component of innovative teaching is essential. This distinction is not made clear by Boden (2019, p. 858). Their thought that "innovative teaching can be promoted and motivated by accurately assessing what students currently know and understand, discovering the discrepancy between what the faculty member intended to convey, and determining a course of action to bridge the conceptual gap" may also apply to practice development rather than innovation. 8-2-1Category: (a) What is New to the Higher Education Context This group perceives innovative education as novel in the given setting. This category defines "new" in addition to "difference." This sort of description shows a growing awareness or a more sophisticated comprehension of the notion by going beyond difference to specify the new. The context in which the novelty is positioned serves as the reference point in this category. There is awareness that something may not be new in itself or be new to the participants, but being novel to the context qualifies it as innovative teaching. A particular learning episode (like a workshop), a module or program, an institution of higher education nationally or globally, and other contexts are all taken into consideration. This concerns the practitioner's perception of their area of influence and the degree of context in which they believe they can implement innovative teaching. It may involve the desire to introduce something the person is familiar with into a situation where it does not currently exist. The following quotation illustrates this category. All of those items are novel within [university], but none are novel within [program] since we've been doing this for 4 years. [Participant 01] 8-2-2Category :(b) What is New to University Teachers Innovative teaching, under this category, is defined as a practice that deviates from our typical methods. It is practicefocused and incorporates examples of teaching that differ from the participant's perception of typical or conventional teaching Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9711 methods in higher education. Participants' definitions of normal vary by field, but they typically include regular lab or practical sessions alongside traditional didactic lectures or seminars. This category's crucial feature is its emphasis on distinction over novelty. It is crucial to remember that this is not a quantitative distinction from the other two categories in terms of newness; instead, newness is not taken into account at all. It encompasses behaviours that are distinct from what the individual perceives as the conventional norm, even if they were formed in that setting. Although teaching was not novel to them or the setting, it was deemed innovative since it deviated from the norm. There are three ways in which innovative teaching is perceived as different from the norm: first, through participants' direct experience of what is considered conventional practice in their area. This contrasts established practices in their department and courses with what they view as innovative teaching. Second, traditional didactic lecturing is used to describe ordinary teaching. Thirdly, as in their own university education or the way they were instructed as students. There is a feeling of creative teaching that involves evolving or, in my case, not doing the same thing over and over. The following quotations from participants highlight this category. Well, innovation, I guess, is not about delivering like you were last year. And that you are not delivering as you have always delivered. I think there are always elements of what we do, and what I do, that are innovative in the sense that they are not how I was taught. [Participant 05] 8-2-3Category :(c) Different to What Teachers Usually Do Innovative teaching is defined in this category as practices that deviate from the usual. It is practice-focused and includes any teaching example that differs from the participant's perception of typical or conventional higher education teaching methods. This category's crucial feature is its emphasis on distinction rather than novelty. It encompasses behaviours that, although established within the context, deviate from the participant's perception of the conventional norm. Although teaching was not novel to them or the setting, it was considered innovative because it deviated from standard practice. This temporal component is also evident in how innovative instruction in this area is contrasted with habitual yearly repetition of the same exercise. There is a sense of innovative teaching that involves making changes over time or refraining from repeating the same thing. The results of this investigation have been presented in this section as a compound outcomespace with seven qualitatively different but logically connected categories of description. Based on the collective experience reported in 15 academic interviews, these categories of description reflect the qualitatively distinct ways of perceiving innovative teaching in the data. Participants' quotes have been used to demonstrate and clarify the salient features of each description category. To illustrate the critical diversity and growing complexity of the categories of description, the relationships between the categories have been examined in terms of their structural and relational features. 9DISCUSSION The results of this research study were shown in the previous section as a compound outcome space of six qualitatively different but logically connected categories of description. The outcome space comprised two components that were inextricably linked: various methods of experiencing novelty and other ways of experiencing creative education. These results, which address the study's goal of examining the qualitatively disparate ways academics view innovative teaching, were established by phenomenographic analysis. This section provides a detailed discussion of these results, outlining what was discovered and offering insights into the earlier studies covered. The categories of description identified in the research's conclusions are reviewed and discussed in further detail in the first two sections. I then highlight the main themes to provide a comprehensive view of the results. The qualitatively distinct categories used to describe the phenomenon of innovative teaching are covered in this section. These historical norms emphasise what the instructor does in the classroom in this category, even though they likely originate in a teaching model of knowledge transmission. This is consistent with Jaskyte, Taylor, and Smariga's (2009) theme of innovative teaching as teaching methods/style, which encompasses traits related to the way the teacher conducts their sessions, and Fraser's (2019) concept of innovative emancipator, which emphasises innovative teaching as the way instruction is given in the practitioners' immediate context. Although they were significant concerns in this category, risk and problem-solving were prevalent across all categories and do not appear as elements of crucial variance. Novel teaching and assessment activities closely correspond to the studies that use the phrase "innovative teaching" entail experimenting with new techniques and disseminating them as innovative practice. This category included the use of technology in the classroom, which is related to the term 'innovative teaching' for technological interventions. Many of these studies have been stimulated by the emergence of digital tools; nonetheless, the relationship between tools and pedagogy is not straightforward. Pedagogical factors are not prioritised in this area. It encompasses creative teaching as an intervention that presents a new tool, but it might not involve altering the pedagogical reasoning that guides the encounter. Innovative Teaching in Moroccan Higher Education: A Phenomenographic Examination of Moroccan University Instructors' Perceptions IJSSHR, Volume 08 Issue 12 December 2025 www.ijsshr.in Page 9712 This validates the observation made by Ross, Morrison, and Lowther (2010, p. 19) that "educational technology is a wide array of modalities, tools, and techniques for learning rather than a homogeneous "intervention." Therefore, how well it supports educators and learners in achieving the intended learning objectives determines its effectiveness. This category aligns with Tidd and Bessant's (2013) product innovation dimension and with Schumpeter's first type of innovation: a new good (product) (Schumpeter, 1934). In this case, the items or products are innovative educational activities. Innovative teaching is defined by pedagogical alignment, which involves making creative adjustments to the learning episode to better align with individual values of excellent pedagogy. The learning episode's teaching strategy is the primary focus; the particular activity is not. It was frequently described as being unhappy with the current form and inheriting an event of learning from someone else. Restrictions and limitations on the innovation of institutional procedures characterised this group. For a learning episode to be considered innovative teaching, it had to be new and consistent with their standards of good pedagogy. Participants expressed pedagogical alignment using two subcategories of educational types in this area. One must first understand pedagogy and adhere to specific pedagogical principles to view innovative teaching as an alignment with pedagogy. Long, Cummins, and Waugh's (2017, p. 180) observation that "there is a strong relationship between instructors' pedagogical beliefs and their use of pedagogical innovations" is supported by the fact that this category's two subcategories align with student-centred and professionally authentic learning pedagogies. Restrictions on the innovation of institutional procedures characterised this group. This relates to the body of research on factors that facilitate and hinder the development of a creative teaching culture (e.g., Gregory et al., 2015; Singh and Hardaker, 2014; Martinez-Garcia et al., 2012; Smith, 2011). The results of this category are consistent with Singh and Hardaker's (2014) thorough analysis of the impact of institutional structure on innovative teaching, which revealed a substantial conflict between institutional procedures and structures and the adoption and success of innovative education. In this respect, there are three ways in which innovative teaching is perceived as distinct from the standard. First, the participant's firsthand knowledge of what is customary in their department or area. Since standard practice can vary widely across departments within an institution and between institutions in the same subject area, this offers a unique point of reference for evaluating what is novel. This kind of individual point of reference makes it difficult for people to reach a common understanding of a subject, such as innovative teaching, because they may be coming from quite diverse places. Second, there is a general definition of traditional didactic lecturing that is used to describe typical teaching. Surprisingly, despite substantial advancements in studentcentred learning pedagogies throughout time and an increase in teaching courses for lecturers, the idea that typical university instruction is a didactic lecture still endures. Thirdly, it is articulated in terms of their own educational experiences. Once more, this is a subjective point of reference, as each person's student experience may differ significantly from another's. The concept of "established innovations," which seems like a contradiction in terms, proved to be one of the most intriguing discoveries in this study. Even though these methods are not novel to the individual or the setting, they are still considered cutting-edge teaching techniques. 10LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY There are limitations to any research study, and this one is no different. For the interviews, attendees were urged to draw on their own professional experiences. Furthermore, the number of participants is another drawback, as a larger sample would have shown greater diversity in their experiences with creative teaching. Unfortunately, the scope of this study does not allow for expanding the sample in size or across Moroccan higher education institutions. This study is also subject to the general limitations of phenomenography as a research approach, as discussed previously. These include the possibility that the sampling may not include all possible ways of experiencing innovative teaching. Sampling is influenced by access, and the sample may be biased, for example, toward those willing to participate. 11RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Opportunities for additional research to advance our understanding of innovative teaching are presented by adhering to both the study's limitations and the discussion's paths. The study would be supplemented with investigations into how various stakeholders view innovative education, particularly those that utilise a phenomenographic approach. Examining students' perspectives, for instance, Jaskyte et al. (2009) discovered that staff and students prioritised distinct aspects of innovative education. Additionally, managers, staff developers, senior executives, legislators, and other stakeholders are involved in the strategic development and support of innovative teaching cultures. A more profound understanding of perceptions, especially differences in viewpoints among stakeholders, would provide a more precise grasp of the story, communication, and implementation of the transfer of innovative teaching methods from policy to classroom. Since the results of this study are situational, it would also be beneficial to conduct additional research across different settings. For instance, stakeholders in innovative teaching in various Moroccan and foreign higher education institutions. Comparing these results and investigating regional and global issues would then be feasible. This study highlighted the foregrounding of diverse