An overview of recent trends in research on educational innovation contributes to a framework for further analysis. Two basic assumptions made are that innovation depends on multiple factors and that innovation itself is a three-stage process involving initiation, implementation, and incorporation into an organizational structure. The most important of the stages is implementation. The distinction between educational reform, which happens at the system-wide level, and educational innovation, which occurs at much lower levels, dictates that research on the implementation of innovations must focus on the "micro" level, that of the school and the classroom. A summary of research on the determinants of implementation indicates that they comprise four sets of factors, including the nature of the innovation, the characteristics of the school, the attitudes and attributes of the teachers, and the particular strategies chosen for implementation. However, researchers on innovation should not ignore the role of larger sociopolitical influences, such as the lack of long-term continuity in governmental policies. (RW)