Teaching Creativity in High School: From an integrative perspective

Jiannong Shi, Xiaojun QuInstitute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Science

shijn@psych.ac.cnhttp://cngifted.psych.ac.cn

International Conference on Creativity and Education

Issues about creativity

Knowledge or experience and creativityIntelligence and creativityMotivation (intrinsic vs extrinsic) and cr

eativityFamily background and creativitySchooling and creativityCulture and creativityNatured or nurtured

What is creativity? Creativity is the generation of ideas that ar

e both novel and valuable. (Boden) A creative idea is one that is both original

and appropriate for the situation in which it occurs.(Martindale)

Creativity from a Western perspective can be defined as the ability to produce work that is novel and appropriate. (Lubart)

Two Defining Features of Creativity

Author Feature 1: Originality

Feature 2: Usefulness

Cruher & Wallace Martindale Lumsden Feist Lubart Boden Nickerson

novelty original new novel novel novel novelty

value appropriate significant adaptive appropriate valuable utility

(Mayer, 1999)

Creativity is not the sole feature of a product

Person who create the productProcedure during which the product

is createdEnvironment which press the

pressure on the person and has feedback on the product

and the product itself

Conception of creativity

Creativity is a manifestation of one's intellectual activity. It is the ability of an individual to re-construct and combine the components of existing knowledge and experience in a special way to develop a new production.

Creativity is combined with creative attitude, creative behavior, and creative production. The core is creative behavior which includes creative thinking, creative habits, and creative activities.

Creativity can be influenced by the environment in which one lives. The degree of the influence mainly depends on one’s personality.

Creativeproducts

Creativethinking

Creativehabits

Creativeactions

Intellectualpotential

Knowledge &experiences Attitudes

or trends

Non-intelligencepersonalities

Familyeconomicconditions

Socialenvironment

Educationallevel

Heredity

Creative behaviorThe System of Creativity

Creativity and intelligence current

IntellectualIntellectualpotentialpotential

AttitudeAttitudeabout taskabout task

Target taskTarget taskActivities evaluated

Non-target taskNon-target taskActivities not

evaluated

Control switch

Factors may Factors may make effectsmake effects

intrinsic or extrinsicintrinsic or extrinsic

Creativity in an integrative system

Creativitydevelopment

Power systemCuriosity, Interest,

Motivation, Creative attitudes, etc.

Resource systemDomain knowledge,

skills, Methods, Tools or equipment,

etc.

Support systemNotion & form of education,

Pattern of management, Encouraging system, and opportunities, etc.

CreativityCreativity

OriginalityOriginality ValueValue

Function Function of productof product

Evaluated Evaluated by societyby society

Communicate Communicate with otherswith others

SeekingSeeking helpshelps

ExpressExpressoneselfoneself

DifferentDifferentfrom othersfrom others

Try new Try new thingsthings

Risk takingRisk takingLooking Looking forforchallengechallenge

Do what others Do what others not dare to donot dare to do

Know Know the oldthe old

CollaborationCollaboration

Comparing & Comparing & finding problemsfinding problems

SeekingSeekinginformationinformation

Enough physical energyEnough physical energy Psychological modePsychological mode

Medical care Medical care & nutrition& nutrition

Physical Physical exerciseexercise

Having experienceHaving experiencein society, in naturein society, in nature

Value of world, of Value of world, of life, & of oneselflife, & of oneself

Design of creativity education in schoolsDesign of creativity education in schools(Shi, 2000)

Cognitive aspects Non-cognitive

aspects

Socialization

Communication collaboration

Cognitive Aspects

Breaking the set of thinking styles

Critical thinking training

Divergent thinking training flexibility, originality, fluency etc.

example

Non-cognitive Aspects Challenge oneself task commitment, passion motivation & motives

curiosity, drive for exploration & knowledge etc.

openness for experiences, open learning Input & Output the information with different

sense modality

Communication and collaboration skills

Expressing oneselfMaking speech DebatingActingTeam-building