Teguritesse

Teguritesse is a theoretical construct in education and technology adoption studies used to describe the tempo at which a community or institution integrates new teaching methods and digital tools into everyday practice. It captures both how quickly changes are initiated and how smoothly they are sustained in classrooms, curricula, and assessment. The concept is used to compare adoption dynamics across different contexts and to identify barriers and enablers of change.

Etymology and origin: The term's origin is not precisely established; it appears in early 21st century scholarly discourse as a portmanteau combining elements related to teaching and rapidity. Because no single origin story has achieved consensus, teguritesse is treated as an emergent, descriptive label rather than a fixed, canonical term.

Measurement and scope: Researchers describe teguritesse through qualitative scales (slow, moderate, rapid) and quantitative indicators (time to adoption milestone, proportion of instructors using the tool, frequency of curriculum revisions). Data sources include surveys, interviews, classroom observations, and implementation reports. The concept is applied mainly in higher education and K-12 contexts, with some use in corporate training research.

Implications and critique: Teguritesse highlights the dynamics of change and helps compare adoption across settings. Critics note a lack of standardized metrics, potential ambiguity, and sensitivity to local conditions such as policy, funding, and leadership.

See also: diffusion of innovations, technology acceptance model, educational technology, organizational change.