Narratives of creativity: How eight teachers on four school levels integrate creativity into teaching and learning

Abstract

Modern societies prioritise creative thinking and the capacity to actualize ideas. Creativity is one of six fundamental ideals11Translators of Icelandic curricula use the words “fundamental pillars” in English, which we find goes against the grain of the policy, as it creates the connotation that the pillars are separated and independent; whereas in Icelandic the policy indicates that ideals or issues can be integrated and intertwined. in the Icelandic curricula presented by educational authorities in Icelandic in 2011. These curricula were designed for the three first school levels – preschool, compulsory school (6–16 years old), and upper secondary school (16–20 years old) – with the common aim of enhancing core competencies built on the six fundamental ideals for students (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2011).This paper describes an action research project that ran from autumn 2013 until autumn 2015. I, the author of this article describe and anlayse our work on behalf of and in collaboration with the other participants. With it, we sought to understand how we as teachers could work to enhance student creativity. Participants included eight teachers at four school levels working in a research group led by the author. Data included journals, reflective notes, teaching plans, photographs, student information and research group meetings. Bernstein’s (2000) concepts of framing and classification were used to locate teachers’ work with students. Through the research process, we became more aware of their roles in nurturing student creativity. Constraints and supportive elements of creative work were identified. The main theme that emerged was: control in learning spaces. Other connected themes were: supporting student agency, experimenting with framing, engagement and personal interpretation, challenging ingrained patterns of learners as receivers, finding balance between freedom and control, and professional development through action research. Fostering creativity turned out to be a complex endeavor, characterized by several factors that can be adjusted and influenced.