ERIC Number: EJ1293846
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
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Available Date: N/A
Nurturing Creativity: Louisiana Second Grade Teachers' Perspectives and Practices
Austin, Stacie
Research Issues in Contemporary Education, v6 n1 p26-46 Fall-Win 2021
The researcher constructed this descriptive case study with the intention of determining second grade educators' perceptions of creativity, and to provide insight into how creativity is nurtured in general education classrooms while identifying barriers to nurturing creativity. Using Eisner's (2017) framework of educational connoisseurship and criticism, the researcher provided a rich description, interpretation, and evaluation of experiences among eight teacher participants from two school sites in the same Louisiana district. Data collection included interviews, observations, and teacher-created artifacts. Evidence from the observations showed varied levels of nurturing creativity among teacher participants. Although all of the teachers in the study claimed to value creativity, they did not all practice pedagogy that specifically nurtured creativity. The findings were similar to other studies where teachers believed creativity to be highly valuable (Andiliou & Murphy, 2010, Kampylis, 2010), but discrepancies were reported between teachers' assertions and actual classroom practices (Cho, Pemberton, & Ray, 2017). Barriers to nurturing creativity within the classroom were similar to the findings of the literature review: high-stakes testing, timeconstraints, compartmentalization, and primarily associating creativity with the arts (Beghetto, 2015; Cho et al., 2017; Craft, 2005; Eisner, 2002; Muirhead, 2011). Evidence seemed to support the statement that curriculum did not dictate whether creativity was nurtured in the classrooms and that the teacher plays a significant role in determining whether creativity is fostered in the classroom. The researcher suggests building teacher knowledge about the creative process, with methodology for action, to support creative pedagogy in all subjects.
Descriptors: Creativity, Creative Development, Creative Activities, Classroom Techniques, Barriers, Teacher Attitudes, Elementary School Teachers, Grade 2, Value Judgment, Public Schools, Social Studies, Elementary School Science, State Standards, Teacher Role
Louisiana Educational Research Association. e-mail: rice@leraweb.net; Web site: http://leraweb.net/ojs/index.php/rice
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 2; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Louisiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A