Examining teacher perceptions of creativity: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

As an increasingly globalized society creates knowledge-based economies, the need for schools to foster creativity in students intensifies. Teachers have much to gain by fostering creativity in the classroom, but are teachers’ conceptions of creativity accurate or misguided? There is a need to investigate perceptions of creativity held by teachers to better understand how to actualize classroom environments rich in creative thinking and practice. The current study explores K-12 teachers’ perceptions of creativity through a systematic review and thematic analysis of the current literature. Selected studies included empirical quantitative and qualitative investigations published in high quality journals from 1999 to 2015. The thematic findings of this review afford a deeper understanding of teachers’ perceptions of creativity both for research and for practice. Our analysis revealed that although teachers value creativity, their conceptions of creativity are uninformed by theory and research on creativity. Teachers feel unprepared to foster or identify creativity in their classrooms; they equate creativity with the arts; and personal and cultural beliefs affect their perceptions of creativity and creative students. Implications for future research indicate a need for qualitative research that seeks to understand teacher perceptions of creativity in depth as they relates to both the classroom context, teachers’ backgrounds in education and training, and the overall discourse of creativity in education.