The purpose of this study was to examine the adoption of open textbooks by a P12 school by using student learning outcomes and teacher perceptions to evaluate if open textbooks possess the diffusion of innovation (DoI) attributes as described by Rogers (2003). This study focused on 5,109 eighth- and-ninth grade student test scores and four teachers. This population includes students with disabilities and English Language Learners. The participants included two eighth-grade science teachers, one eighth-grade special education teacher, and one ninth grade Biology I teacher.

Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. Data collected during the qualitative strand included participant interviews. The data was analyzed using a four-step process described by Bloomberg and Volpe (2008). Four themes emerged: use, benefits, challenges, and DoI attributes. Data collected during the quantitative stand included eight- and ninth-grade students' science test scores from the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. The test scores were analyzed using eight groupings of students. The analysis compared the test scores of one group in one school year when students used traditional textbooks to the group of students who used open textbooks the next school year. Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to compare mean scores.

Interpretation of results revealed teachers perceive open textbooks as possessing the five attributes described by Rogers (2003). The results of the eight Mann-Whitney U tests show all groups except the eighth- and ninth-grade ELL students have higher test scores when using a traditional textbook as compared to when they use an open textbook. The results indicate open textbooks do not possess a relative advantage over the traditional textbook when it comes to learning outcomes, but the teacher interviews indicate they see relative advantages in other areas. The attributes of compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability are perceived by the teachers as present in open textbooks. The attribute of complexity is negatively related to the rate of adoption so the perception of the open textbook being complex may slow the rate of adoption. With the perceived presence of DoI attributes, there is an increased chance the innovation will be adopted at a quicker rate.