Creativity in German Science Education in Elementary Schools: Preservice Teachers’ Perspective on Whether It Is Essential, Possible or Completely Unnecessary

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Creativity is one of the key qualifications of the 21st century. Despite this importance, the topic plays a subordinate role in school and teacher training. The article will explore the question of what understanding and values prospective teachers have of creativity in science education. After the relevance of creativity for science education in elementary school is presented, possible definitions of creativity and divergent thinking are shown in the theoretical framework. Based on this, creativity in education and especially in science education in elementary school will be presented. This leads to the following questions: RQ1: What do preservice teachers of science education in elementary school understand by creativity? RQ2: How much relevance do preservice teachers of science education in elementary school attach to creativity for science education in elementary school? RQ3: What are preservice teachers’ views on the influence of different factors on the development of creativity and on the promotion of creativity in science education in elementary school? Preservice teachers of science education in elementary school (N = 131) from the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany were surveyed. The respondents consider creativity to be important for learning in science education at elementary school. They also view creativity important not only for learning in a school context, as well as its high value in professional life in the future. Overall, the findings show that professional experience has no influence on opinions about creativity in science teaching in elementary school. Preservice teachers from the state of Lower Saxony have a somewhat more positive attitude towards the topic of creativity in science education in elementary school, although it must be said that the respondents from North Rhine-Westphalia also attach great relevance to the topic.