Teaching for Creativity as Human Development toward Self-Actualization: The Essence of Authentic Learning and Optimal Growth for All Students

Majed Rabhan Wadaani

doi:10.4236/ce.2015.67067

Abstract

Enhancing creativity is an important issue worldwide, but it is perceived and addressed differently from a population to another. Creativity is considered as an essential life skill, a major component of human intelligence, and the most important topic in the education of the gifted and talented students. Nations rely on youth to use their skills at the highest level possible to contribute to improving all life aspects including solving problems creatively, developing genuine innovations, and leading communities to productivity. Literature indicates that creativity should be nurtured in all students to become successful continued learners, and in gifted students to facilitate their talent development and extend their growth in optimal ways. This paper further discusses the nature of creativity, proposes a broad conceptualization of creativity based on the humanistic approach and positive psychology, and suggests teaching practices for fostering creativity in the general classroom.

Highlights

Allowing youth to use their intellectual potential at early levels of education is recommended; as special efforts at university levels often are not effective with students who have experienced continued earlier boredom andHow to cite this paper: Wadaani, M
The major purpose is to contribute to enhancing school trends and teachers’ attitudes toward teaching for creativity utilizing a broad conception of creativity, and internalizing positive beliefs about student capability for success
Solution-focused teaching is based on the teacher as a facilitator of student success, by helping them externalize negative assumptions and internalize positive beliefs about their personalities, abilities, and responsibility for learning which is essential for creativity development

Summary

Introduction

Allowing youth to use their intellectual potential at early levels of education is recommended; as special efforts at university levels often are not effective with students who have experienced continued earlier boredom and. Teaching for Creativity as Human Development toward Self-Actualization: The Essence of Authentic Learning and Optimal Growth for All Students. Literature indicates that creativity as an attitude toward life and development is more obvious and easier to nurture in young children than it is in older children and adults who have been affected by environments that encourage intellectual conformity, suppress creativity, and overlook talent potential (e.g., Torrance, 1995; Beghetto & Kaufman, 2007; Sternberg, Kaufman, & Grigorenko, 2008). Teaching should be to help students learn facts and think critically about them; teaching should be for nurturing creative thinking, and facilitating overall development of students to become the mature adults they are capable of being (Sternberg, 2004). This paper synthesizes rational support for teaching for creativity as philosophy of teaching that facilitates human development and self-actualization for all students. The major purpose is to contribute to enhancing school trends and teachers’ attitudes toward teaching for creativity utilizing a broad conception of creativity, and internalizing positive beliefs about student capability for success

Creativity as a Human Phenomenon

Creativity and Human Intelligence

Creativity as Human Development toward Self-Actualization

Teaching for Creativity

Conclusion