CREATIVE PLATFORM METHODOLOGY: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR STUDENT CREATIVITY DEVELOPMENT IN COLLEGE STUDIES

Abstract

In recent years, researchers have focused on the manifestations of students’ creativity, on the factors that impact its development, as well as on the conditions, means and methods that can facilitate students’ creativity in various fields of study. In the present investigation, the existing definitions of creativity, creativity development, the concept of Creative Platform and prior research conducted in the field have been analysed. The theoretical framework of the Creative Platform methodology, developed by the Danish researchers Christian Byrge and Søren Hansen (2009), is based on previous studies of creativity development (Amabile, 1998; Csikszentmihalyi, 2006; Stenberg, 1996; etc.). This methodology is currently used as a didactic model in higher education institutions across the globe, including Malta, Spain, China, and other countries. The present investigation presents a model based on the Creative Platform methodology. It is designed to develop students’ creativity in college studies via a specific teaching process during which students develop extra confidence, concentration, and motivation necessary for freeing themselves from the professional, social, or cultural stereotypes.