Can creativity be assessed? Towards an evidence-informed framework for assessing and planning progress in creativity

This article considers the role of constructions of creativity in the classroom and their consequences for learning and, in particular, for the assessment of creativity. Definitions of creativity are examined to identify key implications for supporting the development of children’s creativity within the classroom. The implications of assessing creativity in order to aid its development within and across subjects are explored through the consideration of existing frameworks for assessing and supporting creativity. Enablers for creative teaching and learning are considered in order to propose a model of assessment and development for creativity.     

Issues in science education: problem‐solving,creativity and originality

In this paper the author explores the concept of problem‐solving as generally employed in the science education literature and suggests that a useful distinction can be drawn between puzzles, for which solutions are known or assumed to exist, and problems, for which no solution may be possible. The ability to recognize a problem, it is suggested, is possibly more important than its solution and this is dependent upon the experience, knowledge and interests of the individual. Successful encountering of problems and puzzles and the relationship of this activity to originality and creativity is also discussed. It is proposed that both puzzle and problem‐solving activities are important to provide in school science but that too little attention is paid to real problem‐solving with the result that the specific skills required are not practised.     

Play and practice in the development of sport‐specific creativity in team ball sports

Current theoretical approaches regarding the development of creativity support the view that gathering diversified experience over years is an ideal medium for creative thinking. This study examined the role of practice conditions in the development of creative behavior in team ball sports. Twelve trainers selected the most creative and the least creative players from their teams. These athletes (n=72) provided information about the quantity and type of sport‐specific and other related practice activities undertaken throughout their careers. Results indicated significant differences between the groups for time spent in unstructured play activities and a marginally significant difference for total time spent in training for their main sport. In both cases, more creative players accumulated more time than their less creative counterparts.     

Is there creativity in design? From a perspective of school design and technology in Hong Kong

As creativity is likely to become a crucial aspect of living in the future, it is important for educators to teach students to think creatively when solving constantly evolving and increasingly complex problems. Supported by the idea that creativity can be taught and learnt, elements of creativity are now embedded in secondary school education. Among all school subjects, design and technology (D&T) is one of the best examples for fostering and cultivating students?? creativity, as the subject offers creative activities that enable students to realize their ideas in the context of the real world. This paper analyzes the creative elements in the D&T curriculum in Hong Kong as seen in the exemplar projects on the Education Bureau website. Some problems and difficulties encountered in fostering creativity in the context of Hong Kong are identified, based on the current teaching environment. The paper also draws attention to East Asian beliefs and implicit theories, which greatly influence teachers?? underlying assumptions about learning and teaching, and at the same time notes that these beliefs may be detrimental to the development of creativity among students. The paper then identifies the problems and inadequacies in fostering creativity in design at the secondary school level and expects to raise awareness of the importance of creativity in D&T.     

Do creativity self-beliefs predict literacy achievement and motivation?

Previous work has suggested that creativity self-beliefs show only small relations with academic achievement and may only be related to intrinsic, not extrinsic motivation. We set out to re-examine these relationships accounting for the multifaceted and process embedded nature of creativity self-beliefs and the full domain range of extrinsic motivation. One hundred and twenty-two secondary school pupils completed self-report measures of creativity self-beliefs and motivation and were administered as test of fluid intelligence. Creativity self-beliefs were positively related to teacher assessed literacy attainment, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and also inversely related to amotivation. Creativity self-beliefs accounted for a significant additional proportion of variance in both literacy achievement and in motivational measures, beyond that already accounted for by fluid intelligence. These findings suggest that it is important to attend to the multifaceted nature of creative self-beliefs and the full domain range of extrinsic motivation.     

Pre-service primary teachers’ conceptions of creativity in mathematics

Teachers in the UK and elsewhere are now expected to foster creativity in young children (NACCCE, 1999; Ofsted, 2003; DfES, 2003; DfES/DCMS, 2006). Creativity, however, is more often associated with the arts than with mathematics. The aim of the study was to explore and document pre-service (in the UK, pre-service teachers are referred to as ‘trainee’ teachers) primary teachers’ conceptions of creativity in mathematics teaching in the UK. A questionnaire probed their conceptions early in their course, and these were supplemented with data from semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the responses indicated that pre-service teachers’ conceptions were narrow, predominantly associated with the use of resources and technology and bound up with the idea of ‘teaching creatively’ rather than ‘teaching for creativity’. Conceptions became less narrow as pre-service teachers were preparing to enter schools as newly qualified, but they still had difficulty in identifying ways of encouraging and assessing creativity in the classroom. This difficulty suggests that conceptions of creativity need to be addressed and developed directly during pre-service education if teachers are to meet the expectations of government as set out in the above documents.     

Implicit theories of creativity: a comparison of student‐teachers in Hong Kong and Singapore

This study attempts to uncover the beliefs regarding various aspects of creativity among trainee‐teachers in Hong Kong and Singapore. Trainee‐teachers from Hong Kong (N = 188) and Singapore (N = 127) completed a questionnaire on beliefs about creativity. The 30‐item questionnaire covering 15 aspects of beliefs regarding creativity was presented to the respondents as a set of six‐point Likert scales. Through factor analysis, creativity was found to have five dimensions: (1) physiology, (2) generality, (3) culture, (4) individuality and (5) youth. Hong Kong respondents were found to hold more rigid views of creativity than their Singaporean counterparts. In particular, Hong Kong respondents believed more strongly that creativity is dependent on birth order, effort, health, logical thinking and youth and that there is a critical period beyond which creativity may not develop.     

Pre-service teachers’ conceptions of creativity in elementary school English

Widely thought to be something worth encouraging in young learners, creativity has popularly been associated more with music and art than with other areas of the curriculum. There have been many studies of creativity but few that focus explicitly on what counts as creative thinking in specific subject areas. The aim of the research reported here was to determine pre-service teachers’ conceptions of creativity within the curriculum for English. The study involved analyses of primary school trainee teachers’ responses to questionnaires and follow-up focus group discussion to identify their conceptions. A group of 48 trainees in the final year of an undergraduate degree in primary education leading to qualified teacher status in England completed the questionnaire. Of these, eight volunteered to participate in a follow-up focus group discussion to further explore ideas. Responses were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Conceptions of creativity in English were found to be limited, focused mainly on naïve views of story writing and dramatic activity. Responses indicated that they were often unable to distinguish clearly between the concept of creativity, an example of its occurrence in the classroom, and what feature of that example made it creative. Consequently, their limited constructions of creativity were confused. It is important that teachers in schools as well as those responsible for training teachers in universities are advised that trainees’ conceptions of creativity in English may be inadequate in several respects and that they may not recognise opportunities for creativity. Pre-service training programmes could well benefit from structured courses on the forms and applications of creativity.     

Preservice teachers’ perspectives on the definition and assessment of creativity and the role of web design in developing creative potential

This empirical study explores the perspectives of eight preservice teachers on the meaning and assessment of creativity and the role of web design in developing creative potential. Data sources included eight semi-structured interviews analyzed by three independent raters, web design checklists, and interviewer’s notes. Five themes emerged from participant responses during data analysis: a) definition of creativity, b) assessment of creativity, c) creativity and instructional strategies, d) creativity and problem solving, and e) creativity and web design. Web design is viewed as a process of ill-structured problem solving that educators can integrate in the curriculum to link content knowledge with the construction of a tangible product. Each of the web design steps, according to these preservice teachers, is important in developing and realizing the creative potential because they require comprehension, analysis, synthesis, application, and evaluation skills to create a unique product.     

Can creativity be measured? An attempt to clarify the notion of creativity and general directions for future research

The goal of this investigation is to demonstrate that much of the confusion regarding the measurement of creativity is caused by the insufficient clarity of its definition and to provide suggestions for an improved assessment and new possible tools of investigation (e.g. interviews).It is shown that three dimensions of creativity (novelty, appropriateness and impact) constitute a framework within which creativity can be defined and measured.Further clarity to the definition of creativity is added by distinguishing between person's and product's creativity and providing definitions for each.Based on this new definition, it is argued that Divergent Thinking, Remote Associates or some personality scales can be considered neither the only components of the creative process/cognition/potential nor “creativity tests”. The use of the terms “creativity test” and “measure of creative process” in the literature are criticized and it is indicated when they should be used.It is also shown that claims to have found a general factor of creativity are based on methodological and conceptual errors.Finally it is concluded that a person's creativity can only be assessed indirectly (for example with self report questionnaires or official external recognition) but it cannot be measured directly.     

Children and creativity: A most (un)likely pair?

This article addresses the question of whether children are or are not creative by exploring the assumptions underlying each possible answer. It is argued that our position regarding children's creativity steams from larger systems of representation concerning children on the one hand, and creativity on the other. Arguments for and against the idea that children can be creative are then considered from four different perspectives: the product, process, person and press factor. On the whole, children's creativity is accounted for in terms of a particular ‘reading’ of children as active and interactive beings and of creativity as a social and cultural phenomenon. In contrast, children's lack of creative expression is linked with a passive and receptive image of the child and with theorising creativity through the lenses of the genius and of great creations. In the end, the benefits of acknowledging children's creativity are considered for child and developmental psychology, for creativity research and for educational practices.     

Developing ‘active citizens’: Arts Award,creativity and impact

Creativity has become the new watchword in UK academic and policy circles. Within this context, policy discussions about the arts and their impact emphasise economic benefits over educational value, drawing clear distinctions between quantifiable or ‘hard’ measures of impact and those described as ‘soft’, less tangible and lacking a strong evidence base. Departing from the binary logics often underpinning notions of arts impacts, this article is novel in exploring the entwined relationship between impacts seen as ‘hard’ and ‘soft’. We draw on research examining the links between arts education and young people's future trajectories and use the concept of ‘active citizenship’ to show how informal, softer skills fostered through creative learning are an important part of citizenship-making for some young people. Participants’ accounts show how improvements in soft skills can give young people opportunities for agency, which shape progression pathways leading to measurable change. This finding is directly relevant in the context of evaluations of arts impacts in the UK and abroad, and should encourage further examination of the impact of creative learning on transfer of skills as well as policy developments in this area.     

The influence of school type and perceived teaching style on students’ creativity

School is an excellent place to foster young learners’ creative thinking skills. However, the emphasis on creativity varies among schools. In two studies the putative influence of school education on the development of students’ creativity was examined by means of a retrospective approach. We investigated whether two influential factors within school education (1) school type (i.e., traditional vs. alternative vs. religious) and (2) perceived teaching style (i.e., independence, judgment, flexibility, integration) associate with students’ creativity at university entrance level. The difference was examined at the primary and secondary school level, respectively. Study 1a found that students who attended alternative schools at the secondary school level performed better on divergent thinking tasks as compared to students who attended traditional or religious schools. Relationship between students’ creative performance and the perceived teaching styles were inconclusive. Finally, teaching styles in alternative schools during secondary education were perceived as high in independence and flexibility. Study 1b replicated the finding that university students who attended alternative schools during secondary education have an advantage in divergent thinking. Taken together, our results highlight the positive influence of alternative school education on students’ creative performance at the university entrance level.     

Investing in people: The support of farmer learning,creativity and local social networks in the Project Pisciculture Familiale,Zaïre

Abstract

For over fifteen years the U.S. Peace Corps provided technical and administrative support for a widely successful aquaculture development initiative in the (former) Republic of Zaïre. Until internal political tensions led to the dissolution of the effort in the early 1990s, the programme helped thousands of farmers across the country add a new, highly profitable enterprise to their portfolio of productive activities. The successes generated by this effort highlight the powerful role that extension programmes can play when their design and implementation liberates both farmers and field agents from the confines of their traditional roles as the simple ‘receivers’ and ‘purveyors’ of information. By building upon the reinforcing features of sound production principles, human capacity development and supportive local social organization, this programme created ‘windows of opportunity’ for farmers to become increasingly involved in developing innovations, spreading the programme's messages and independently powering a farmer-led promotion of aquaculture development. This example demonstrates that given the tools and opportunity, extension practice that builds farmers' knowledge, engages farmers' creativity and allows for their active involvement in outreach activities is capable of producing results that far exceed and outlast those possible through more traditional approaches.     

A study of early childhood teachers’ conceptions of creativity in Hong Kong

The study aimed to uncover the conceptions of creativity among early childhood teachers in Hong Kong. The sample comprised 563 early childhood teachers. Factor analysis supported the multidimensional hypothesis of teachers’ conceptions of creativity. Five dimensions were found: novelty, product, problem solving, cognitive processes and personal attributes. Early childhood teachers in Hong Kong ascribed high importance to these dimensions as defining characteristics of creativity, with a person’s cognitive processes and personal attributes being ascribed relatively more important while product as relatively less importance. In particular, imagination, multiple perspectives and curiosity were perceived as very important concepts of creativity. Teachers with different teaching backgrounds shared very similar conceptions of creativity. Significant results were found with regard to product only. The findings have implications for early childhood teacher education programmes and professional development in Hong Kong.     

Open the ‘black box’ creativity and innovation: a study of activities in R&D departments. Some prospects for engineering education

Innovation is a key component to the success and longevity of companies. Our research opens the ‘black box’ of creativity and innovation in R&D teams. We argue that understanding the nature of R&D projects in terms of creativity/innovation, efficiency/inefficiency, is important for designing education policies and improving engineering curriculum. Our research addresses the inventive design process, a lesser known aspect of the innovation process, in 197 R&D departments of industrial sector companies in France. One fundamental issue facing companies is to evaluate processes and results of innovation. Results show that the evaluation of innovation is confined by a lack of methodology of inventive projects. We will be establishing the foundations of a formal ontology for inventive design projects and finally some recommendations for engineering education.     

‘What you risk reveals what you value’: fostering creativity in primary physical education

Creativity has become a buzzword in UK culture in the twenty-first century and is in increasing demand across many spheres. In education, its usage is often generic and has become ever more widespread as it has found its way into a plethora of government documentation pertaining to primary schools over the last decade. However, with a continued focus upon a performativity discourse, creativity continues to be underdeveloped in primary schools, even in areas such as Physical Education (PE), which has great potential for fostering creativity due to an endless range of movement possibilities. Using Nicholson's model (Enhancing creativity, in R. J. Sternberg, Ed., Handbook of creativity; Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999 Nicholson, R. 1999. “Enhancing creativity”. In Handbook of creativity, Edited by: Sternberg, R. J. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  [Google Scholar]) for creative enhancement, this paper examines key issues that concern the development of creativity within primary PE and seeks to construct some ‘real’ recommendations for how this could manifest itself in practice.     

The situated aspect of creativity in communicative events: How do children design web pages together?

This paper looks at the collaborative construction of web pages in History by a Year-4 group of children in a primary school in the UK. The aim of this paper is to find out:

(a)

How did children interpret their involvement in this literacy practice?

(b)

How the construction of web pages was interactionally accomplished? and

(c)

How can creativity be identified in interaction?

Using an ethnographic approach to the study of communication, it is argued that the collective and creative construction of meaning can be understood in terms of relationships amongst components of communicative acts. The analysis of these components reveals how participants shape their utterances as they are engaged in the pursuit of shared goals in a situated activity system. It is argued that participants strive to become members of a community of practice designing web pages. Members of this community showed their understanding in relation to the way they interpreted the design rules for a multimodal text, the means for working together in collaboration and distributing roles, as well as their interpretation of what counts as historical knowledge. Also, in terms of creativity, participants managed to communicate and negotiate their intentions by using several figures of speech and language games, as well as contextually framing their positions as participants in a dialogue. That is, children and teacher demonstrated their creative abilities in a textual, contextual and critical level. It is concluded that creativity is not a gifted capacity; it is an everyday act which is interactionally accomplished in the context of social participation as members of a community. Members creatively display their intentions and negotiate new alternatives for the interpretation of actions in situated activity systems.     

Making ‘right’ choices? An ethnographic account of creativity,performativity and personalised learning policy,concepts and practices

This article uses ethnographic research from two Year 8 classes in two middle‐sized secondary schools about a kilometre apart in a Swedish west‐coast town to examine how new policies for personalised learning have developed in practice, in the performative cultures of modern schools in a commodity society. One school stands in a predominantly middle‐class area of privately owned ‘low‐rise’ houses. The other is in an area of ‘high‐rise’ rented accommodation, where the first language of many homes is not Swedish. The differences are important. According to the article, personalised learning mobilises material and social resources in these schools that support new forms of individualistic, selfish and private accumulations of education goods from public provision and a valorisation of self‐interest and private value as the common basis for educational culture. The article describes this cultural production in school and links it to processes of cultural and social reproduction.