Naslov
Perceptions of Creativity in Croatian Elementary School Students and Teachers

Autori
Ivčević, Zorana ; Rački, Željko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Izvornik
Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association / - , 2011, /-/

Skup
Creativity in our students --- Assessment, current research, and creative curricula.

Mjesto i datum
Sjedinjene Američke Države, 2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
creativity; cultural differences in creativity; creative behavior

Sažetak
Much has been said about a crisis in creativity in the US schools. This perceived crisis coincides with the rise of standardized testing and its greater prominence in the American educational system. The emphasis on standardized testing can create an atmosphere where both teachers and students start primarily valuing convergent thinking – the search for one correct answer – to the expense of divergent thinking, which is one of the key abilities in creativity. Research in collectivist countries, which value obedience to authority figures, discourage nonconformity, and value maturity in behavior of children, can offer a window about possible effects of dampened creativity in the classroom. Approximately 300 elementary school children (median age = 9 years) in Croatia nominated their fellow students in several categories related to creativity (e.g., curiosity, imagination and originality of ideas) and each student was rated for creativity by their teacher. Teacher ratings of creativity were significantly correlated with student nominations and these correlations remained significant after controlling for school grades. Teacher ratings were more highly correlated with student nominations for girls than for boys, suggesting that stereotypes of appropriate behavior for the two genders may influence teachers’ perceptions. In another study, approximately 40 elementary school students rated whether a ‘little/young kid’ or a ‘big/older kid’ is more likely to engage in a list of behaviors. Creative behaviors were more likely to be described as characteristic of younger kids, suggesting that these behaviors are perceived as less appropriate as children grow older. In a society that greatly values agreement of behavior with social and age norms, these perceptions can be powerful influences on students’ interest and willingness to engage in creative behavior.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Pedagogija

POVEZANOST RADA