Teaching Creativity and Pedagogical Practice

This research paper addresses the topic of creativity and pedagogical practice, proposing ways in which creativity may be successfully taught or inculcated within a classroom environment. This is achieved through a review of secondary literature on both the topic of creativity in terms of how it is defined and how it can be taught, before making recommendations as to future practices on the basis of this research coupled with case studies. In particular, how new technologies can be incorporated into the classroom towards this end is considered. The paper begins by offering an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for creativity derived from philosophical, psychological, and educational theories of the concept. The ways in which creativity may be taught or learnt within is then considered, with particular reference to research that has problematised the classroom as a suitable learning environment for creative skills as well as research that has proposed approaches to inculcating creativity using new media. Finally, utilising the example of several case studies, this paper proposes potential approaches to inculcating creativity within the classroom through a holistic approach to art education that incorporates new media such as communication technology.