Practically there? Exploring public relations educators' perceptions of creativity in the curriculum and classroom

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the position of creativity within Australian public relations courses and explore how academics embed what is often identified by industry as a core skill for future and current practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThe study consists of semi-structured interviews with 15 public relations academics to examine their views on the value and delivery of creativity in the public relations curriculum.FindingsThe findings of this exploratory study indicate creativity is addressed implicitly by educators who rely on personal and internalised knowledge rather than the application of a specific theory or body of knowledge pertaining to creativity. In addition, it identifies a series of challenges educators face including students' lack of confidence when required to be creative and a lack of clarity on how to successfully evaluate creativity in assessment tasks.Originality/valueCreativity has been identified as a vital future workplace skill and highlighted as an important capability in global best practice frameworks for public relations professionals. However, the successes and barriers experienced by educators who are responsible for building and evaluating students’ creative abilities have yet to be specifically explored. In response, this study considers educators' perceptions of their practice with regard to this prominent professional attribute and applies this knowledge to argue for theory-led pedagogies, particularly the use of models that emphasise the social nature of creativity, to demystify creativity and enhance students' work readiness as future practitioners.