Creative Teachers, Creative Students (original) (raw)
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Roeper Review, 2016
With creativity now being emphasized in schools, it is important for teachers to understand what it is and how it is measured. This review of the literature is an attempt to make sense of the many definitions and measures of creativity. As a result, this comprehensive review shows that most definitions agree that there are at least two criteria to judge whether a person or a product is creative or not, originality and usefulness. Organized according to Rhodes's 3 P conceptualization of creativity-person, process, product, and press-more than 40 assessments used in creativity research were reviewed. Familiarity with the definitions, views of, and measurement of creativity can help teachers recognize and foster creativity in their students.
Creativity and Learning: What Research Says to the Teacher
1987
The pamphlet reviews research on creativity and applies it to the learning process. After discussing the definition and measurement of creativity, the components of creative performance are outlined, including domain-relevant skills, creativity-relevant skills, and intrinsic task motiva'-don. Factors which destroy students' creativity are noted, such as having children work for an expected reward, setting up competitive situations, having children focus on expecced evaluation, using plenty of surveillance, and setting up restricted-choice situations. Strategies for nurturing and encouraging intrinsic motivation and creativity in classroom settings are explored. A bibliography and a list of resources on thinking skills conclude the pamphlet. (PB)
The Elusive Definition of Creativity
The Journal of Creative Behavior, 1992
The concept of creativity has always intrigued humans. The Egyptians, for example, recorded their fervor for art in sophisticated hieroglyphs, on mummy cases and as massive monuments. The Greek philosophers-most notably Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle-contemplated the nature of creation and the character of the creator. When Plato called the poet a light winged and holy thinker who was never able to compose until he becomes inspired, the image of the artist posed by the muse was born (Nagy, 1988). Creativity has also fascinated historians, scientists, and educators, but western societies have generally been ambivalent about and occasionally opposed to identifying and nurturing creative talents-despite the pattern established by patrons and sponsors in the Golden Ages of creative achievement in Italy, Greece, and France (Torrance, 1984, p. 153). Meanwhile, like such other terms in the social sciences and psychological professions as "intelligence" and "achievement," the concept of "creativity" remains elusive, but such elusiveness has finally begun to gain the attention of professionals from diverse disciplines. In general, however, these theorists and social scientists tend to focus on the creativity demonstrated in the dominant culture. Few investigations, definitions, theories, or identification procedures apply specifically to culturally diverse children who either manifest creativity or are potentially creative. The premise of this discussion is that creativity among culturally diverse students is currently identified inadequately and is, therefore, undemurtured-and may remain so unless educators and other professionals more actively encourage and foster it This article begins with an overview of the current definitions of "creativity." A discussion of various theories of creativity follows. Third, some procedures for identifying creativity are examined, followed by a delineation of processes of creativity. Next, the article cites some forces that hinder creativity. Finally, the authors offer recommendations for educators seeking to enhance the creative potential and ability of all students, especially the culturally diverse. Young (1985) described creativity as a "honorific" term (p. 77) because of the difficulty associated with finding a universallyaccepted definition. The initial problem in defining creativity reflects the fact that our society respects creativity less than intelligence and academic ability, a bias particularly evident in our schools. Even standardized tests tend to ignore creativity (Ford, Harris, & Winborne, 1990). Traditionally, society has provided a hazy yet rigidly defined impression of creativity (Mar'I, 1976), and Torrance (1984) stated that creativity itself suffers in cultures or societies that do not appreciate creative people. At both the social and culturallevel, ... 186 Volume 26 Number 3 17IJrd QuaIter 1992 Joumal of Creatfve BehavIor then, creative children receive stepchild treatment Although Young did not specifically define creativity per se, he provided the following description: Creativity is those attitudes by which we fulfill ourselves ... Creativity is the actualizing of our potential ... It is the integration of our logical side with our intuitive side ... Creativity is more than spontaneity, it is deliberation as well. It is divergent thinking for it converges on some solution: It not only generates possibilities, but also chooses among them. It is more than originality which may only express the bizarre ... Creativity is an advance and change as well as an expression of continuity with the past (Young, 1985, p. 78). In 1986, Renzulli proposed a definition of both "gifted" and"creativity" that appears appropriate for use with culturally diverse students because it acknowledges that giftedness has many manifestations, one of which is creativity: Giftedness consists of an interaction among three basic dusters of human traits-the clusters being above-average general abilities, high levels of task commitment, and high levels of creativity. Gifted and talented children are those possessing or capable of developing this composite set of traits and applying them to any potentiallyvaluable area ofhuman performance ... (p. 73).
2008
Background: A concern for scientific rigor has directed most recent research on creativity towards the study of unambiguous expressions of talent. This is problematic for educators and anyone else who is interested in children's creative potential. Focus of discussion: Creative potential should be the primary concern for educators. Theories of and methods used for enhancing creativity which focus on actual performance are misleading and may not help with the fulfillment of potential. Suggestions: Potential is not always obvious, but educators and others working with children should consider defining creativity in literal terms, as thinking or problem solving that involves the construction of new meaning. This in turn relies on personal interpretations. These are personal and new for the individual, not on any larger scale. This approach is consistent with the educational premise "to understand is to invent," and it allows educators to target students' self-expression. The emphasis is thus on the individual, the self. Equally significant for educators is that this view posits that creativity is widely distributed. Virtually every individual has the mental capacity to construct the personal interpretations that are involved. Conclusion: Creativity is something we can find in every child, not just the gifted or highly intelligent.
Promoting the Development of Creativity in Education
2019
Creativity is progressively recognized as a key element of success in education. The various aspects and conditions of creativity have been identified by researchers, but currently, it appears to seem as a more important subject of interest towards many scientists. This article highlights the importance of developing the creativity of primary school children in the context of education. In a creative learning environment, primary school children expand their skills and strategies on various aspects of creative development. Creativity is an important part of education, making learning itself a social activity. The success of progress and evolution should be at the forefront of developing children creativity. First, it should be able to organize, select the right information, secondly to develop critical and original thinking and, last but not least, to manifest its creativity in its own affections and desires. The critical thinking and inner motivation of children influence the devel...
Assessing Creativity: A Guide for Educators. Research Monograph Series
2002
This monograph deals specifically with the challenge of recognizing or assessing creativity. It is intended for teachers, program coordinators, administrators, counselors, or researchers who are concerned with such questions as, "Can creativity be measured?" "What assessment tools are available to assist us in recognizing creativity in students?" or "How might we evaluate and compare various ways of assessing creativity?" These questions are often posed by researchers interested in studying creativity and by educators concerned with identifying creative talent or evaluating the effectiveness of program goals involving creativity. The primary goals of the monograph are to: provide information about the nature of creativity; identify many key characteristics and indicators of creativity as expressed among elementary, middle, and high school students; examine ways to locate, evaluate, select, and use instruments that are helpful in assessing those characteristics; identify and review many existing creativity assessment resources; suggest some important considerations in linking assessment with instructional programming. The monograph includes an introduction (Chapter I) and four additional chapters, dealing with definitions and characteristics (Chapter II); reviewing, evaluating, selecting, and using instruments (Chapter HD; a design and plan for systematic assessment (Chapter IV); and linking assessment and instruction (Chapter V). The initial chapter on definitions and characteristics provides information to help clarify the nature and meaning of "creativity and creative thinking," and to consider the implications of those definitions for assessment. The chapter also reviews and synthesizes the literature regarding the personal characteristics associated with the construct of creativity, since these characteristics provide the foundation for assessment tools. The next chapter defines and clarifies important basic principles and terms in educational assessment and relates them specifically to the challenge of assessing creativity. It also provides a practical set of criteria for reviewing and evaluating instruments and presents basic principles to guide the wise and appropriate use of creativity assessment instruments. Chapter IV presents a matrix to guide systematic efforts to assess creativity in students, involving four major sources of assessment data and four specific levels of present performance in relation to creativity. The final chapter explores possible implications of creativity assessment and our specific
Progression in Student Creativity in School
Creativity is widely accepted as being an important outcome of schooling. Yet there are many different views about what it is, how best it can be cultivated in young people and whether or how it should be assessed. And in many national curricula creativity is only implicitly acknowledged and seldom precisely defined. This paper offers a five dimensional definition of creativity which has been trialled by teachers in two field trials in schools in England. The paper suggests a theoretical underpinning for defining and assessing creativity along with a number of practical suggestions as to how creativity can be developed and tracked in schools. Two clear benefits of assessing progress in the development of creativity are identified: 1) teachers are able to be more precise and confident in developing young people's creativity, and 2) learners are better able to understand what it is to be creative (and to use this understanding to record evidence of their progress). The result would seem to be a greater likelihood that learners can display the full range of their creative dispositions in a wide variety of contexts.