Creativity and innovation as transferable resources developed in the first stage of education. From the teaching programme to the assessment of the effects of its implementation

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the teaching programme entitled I experience – I understand – I know enriched with a full methodological framework for the first educational stage. This programme, focused mainly on the development of creativity and innovation among students, was implemented in four primary schools and subjected to a detailed evaluation (after ten months of teaching in the 1st grades). The assumptions of the programme are based on the concept of sustainable development operationalized by the R. Sternberg’s theory of intelligence supporting the life success (balance between three types of intelligence: analytical, practical and creative). The obtained results allow to recognize the proposed teaching programme as an effective set of strategies for the implementation of the core curriculum and to develop the transferable resources by the pupils, with particular emphasis on creativity and innovation that are the basis for active adaptation to the environment now and in the future. The level of creativity of students implementing the I experience – I understand – I know programme turned out to be statistically significantly higher (p <0.001) compared to the control group (not implementing this programme). Therefore, this programme can be treated as a set of good practices in effective early childhood education based on the independent and active construction of knowledge about the world by the subject (instead of providing by the teacher a ready-made set of information to be remembered), supported by the development of curiosity about the world and openness to new issues.