engleski

Exploring Teachers’ Educational Needs for Fostering Creativity in the Classroom

This paper explores how teachers assess their existing and required knowledge and skills, i.e., educational needs, how they perceive creativity in general, and how pupils’ creativity is manifested in the classroom. The following research questions guide the study: (1) examine teachers’ educational needs based on the self-assessments of their existing and required knowledge and skills in specific areas of creativity ; and (2) examine how teachers perceive creativity in general and the manifestation areas of pupils’ creativity in the classroom. A survey was used to gather qualitative and quantitative data from 129 elementary school classroom teachers in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Republic of Croatia. Teachers’ educational needs were examined in two aspects: “How much knowledge and skills about the stated areas of creativity do you have?” and “How much knowledge and skills about them do you think you should have as a teacher-professional?” on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much). The results indicate high average assessments of teachers’ existing and required knowledge and skills for all assessed areas of creativity. Teachers assign, on average, higher assessments for each area regarding the level of knowledge required. Correlation analyses indicate senior teachers’ significantly lower assessments of their required knowledge and skills for most of the areas examined. It was also found that teachers view creativity as an ability or skill, a process of creating something original, or as a personality trait. They also most often cite visual arts, mother tongue, and music as areas in which pupils’ creativity in the classroom is manifested. The paper highlights the complexities and challenges of ongoing studies of teachers’ professional development needs, conditions, and opportunities regarding students’ creativity.

teachers ; educational needs ; creativity ; creative teaching and learning ; professional development

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