Minds Research Articles

Videographic criticism and the art of creative thinking

ABSTRACT This article introduces ‘The Creative Triad’, a novel framework that integrates three distinct perspectives – Researcher, Practitioner, and Spectator – to examine the creative process in videographic criticism. This framework facilitates a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay between creative practice and theoretical inquiry within academic research. The development of the project unfolds through these perspectives: first, embodying the role of the Researcher, where theoretical insights inform the creative approach; second, assuming the position of the Practitioner, where the creative component, grounded in tacit knowledge, evolves through practice-led methodologies; and third, adopting the standpoint of the Spectator, where the production and outcomes of the creative practice are critically evaluated. These perspectives were not rigid and often intertwined throughout the iterative creative process and this triadic approach allows for a comprehensive exploration of how theory and practice can inform and enrich one another in videographic research. This methodological framework extends the thoughts of other creative thinkers, such as Graeme Sullivan, who introduced the concept of transcognition (Sullivan 2001) to create a confluence approach that utilises three perspectives – that of, the Researcher, Practitioner, Spectator.

Enhancing Creativity: The Impact of Multilingualism on Creative Arts Instruction and Expression in South African Schools

Teachers heavily rely on the dominant language of instruction—a spoken and written mode of communication—rather than expressing creative art forms through actions, signs, symbols, and other means. The reliance on monolingual forms of instruction to teach these art forms may diminish their efficacy. This research thus aimed to optimise the use of multilingualism in the context of Creative Arts and expression. Teachers teach Creative Arts with the aim of equipping learners with fundamental knowledge and skills in the arts, thereby fostering creativity, imagination, and appreciation for artistic activities. Multilingualism also entails using the human senses to see, understand, and navigate the various symbolic worlds humans encounter. The study adopted a transformational paradigm based on qualitative participatory research, focusing on ten eighth-grade learners purposefully selected from a particular school. Semiotics, the study of signals and the epistemology of their presence in society, served as the theoretical foundation for the research. The researcher collected data through focus groups and observations and then used a narrative analysis method for analysis. The findings revealed that limitations such as insufficient instructional time, a lack of training and linguistic dominance, a lack of resources, and limited preparedness impede the effective use of multilingual instructional methodologies. The researcher concludes that compulsory incorporation of semiotics in Creative Arts instruction may be crucial in fostering creative thinkers who cannot only express creative practices in a conventional manner but also use their talents in other domains, such as animation in creative practice. Keywords: Multilingualism, Creative Arts, Semiotics, Transformational Paradigm, Participatory Research.

Cultivating Creative Thinking in the Workplace: A Positive and Open-Mind Approach

Creative thinking is a highly beneficial skill in the workplace that can help individuals and organizations achieve success. The practice of creativity and innovation can lead to a more productive work environment, improved employee performance, increased idea generation and project development, enhanced collaboration, and a unique perspective and mindset. This paper focuses on the defining characteristics of creative thinkers, which enable them to approach challenges and obstacles in innovative and unconventional ways and to devise innovative solutions that others may not have considered. By identifying and addressing these obstacles, companies can create a culture that fosters creative thinking and innovation, leading to long-term success and growth.

Middle Powers as Mediators: The role of Türkiye and Brazil in the JCPOA, the Ukrainian Grain Deal, and further developments in the war in Ukraine

Characterized by their ability to impact the world order without having superpower status, middle powers contribute significantly to maintaining global stability and fostering notable advancements. The notion of middle powers is longstanding in international relations, with its roots traceable in the writings of the Italian 16th century thinker Giovanni Botero. The literature concerning middle powers is full of debates and considerations about their definitions, characteristics, and objectives. Türkiye and Brazil have been chosen as primary subjects of this study to exemplify the growing role of middle powers as mediators due to their involvement in international negotiations. Keywords: Middle Powers; Great Powers; the Grain Deal; JCPOA; diplomatic negotiations; mediation.

TikTok as a contemporary literary space in Palestinian higher education: empowering students’ creative thinking of fiction

ABSTRACT This study explores the transformative potential of TikTok as a contemporary literary space that empowers students’ creative thinking within the context of Palestinian higher education. It focuses on a group of 76 students who enrolled in the Novel & Short Story course in the English Department at a Palestinian university during the second term in 2022. By employing a Piagetian theoretical framework and a quantitative research approach through the utilization of a web questionnaire, the research demonstrates how the power of TikTok can be harnessed to inspire and construct a vibrant literary community in Palestinian higher education. In this community, students are positioned as active heroes in their TikTok videos where their interactive practices increase intellectual discussions, productive in-class performance, and collaborative reflection. Famed in a positive light, the research findings show that a sustained communal engagement with novels and short stories via digital spaces not only cultivates effective modes of creative thinking among participants but also provides original and practical orientations of teaching and learning in the Palestinian academic community. The possible digital understanding of literary texts beyond the conventions of institutionalized pedagogy provokes a future where students become creative thinkers and contributors to the world of fiction.

Creative Thinking Skills in Chemistry Learning: A Systematic Literature Review

Creative thinking is one of the abilities needed in facing the 21st century era. Various problems in learning chemistry make students have to be creative thinkers to solve the problems they face. This study aims to determine creative thinking skills in chemistry learning. The method used is Systematic Literature Review (SLR) which adopts 5 stages from Denyer and Tranfield with the criteria of articles on creative thinking skills in learning chemistry indexed by Scopus, Sinta 1, and Sinta 2 from 2014 to 2023, full text and open source. There were 17 articles that fit these criteria. The results of the literature review show that most studies involve chemistry education students as prospective teachers who have an important role in developing students' creative thinking skills. In addition, most studies aim to investigate the effect of learning models on creative thinking skills. Project Based Learning (PjBL) model with a STEM approach is the most effective learning used to improve creative thinking skills with student learning outcomes of 83.00. Based on the results of the literature review, it was found that there is a positive relationship between learning outcomes and creative thinking skills. The better students' learning outcomes, the better their creative thinking skills.

Simulating alternative internationals: Geopolitics role-playing in UK schools

Simulation and role-play have a proven track record as pedagogic techniques to provide students with insights into geopolitics, diplomacy, and international relations. Since the first Model United Nations (MUN) in 1947, simulations have proliferated within secondary and tertiary educational settings. However, these activities overwhelmingly focus on recognised nation-states, neglecting polities that are not UN member states, but that are often acutely affected by conflict and human rights abuses. This paper is part of a broader project that is seeking to bring the realities and stories from such communities, territories, and peoples – a number of which have come together as the ‘Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization’ (UNPO) – to a wider audience. Loosely based on MUN simulations, the ‘Model UNPO’ exercise involves participants being assigned a UNPO member, researching that polity’s context and rights claims, and coming together for a structured role-play debate. Drawing on participant observation of Model UNPO exercises with 16–18 year old students at thirteen UK secondary schools we examine how geopolitics can be taught and learned within school classroom settings, how young people make sense of geopolitics, and how they imagine and articulate alternative internationals. We assess what simulation exercises can offer to understandings of the intersection of young peoples’ geopolitics and geographies of education. In doing so, we analyse how students draw on ‘known worlds’ and advocate for possible worlds through role-playing unrepresented diplomats, and examine the role of clause writing in the scripting of geopolitical imaginaries, and how role-playing forges empathy and solidarities. We conclude by making the case for foregrounding young people as critical and creative geopolitical thinkers.

JINGLE BELLS IN THE HISTORICAL WAYS OF CAROL SONGS

Carols traditionally held a central place in the celebration of the Christmas season. It is believed that the angels sang the first carol on the day of Jesus' birth on the first Christmas night. But Carols before the birth of Jesus come to our attention as we travel through history. The beginning of the carol is detailed in history as it was part of the Winter Solstice celebration. There was also a time when carols were written and sung for all four seasons. May carols, Harvest carols etc. were celebrated. Thus in the beginning, Christmas carols were more secular rather than sacred and religious. The secularization didn’t destroy the significance of this carols, it only took the celebration back to its roots and reminded us of the social significance of early secular carols. However, it is a fact that the tradition of singing carols at Christmas only continued later. Many carols today have little to do with Christmas. Are they good signs that carols are becoming secular like in the early days? In the world of music, many songs have been composed about Sacrifice, Love and Peace. How Christmas carols have lasted so long, remaining in people’s minds for centuries and millennia? A study in search of the roots of the Christmas Carols is intended here. An attempt has also been made to associate the immortal Christmas Carols to the centuries in which they were born.

Implementasi Metode Role Playing untuk Mewujudkan Merdeka Belajar

Kurikulum merdeka memberi kesempatan luas kepada siswa untuk belajar secara santai, bebas tekanan, dan menyenangkan untuk mengembangkan potensi dalam diri. Merdeka belajar mendorong siswa untuk berkembangan sesuai dengan potensinya. Hal ini sesuai dengan pemikiran Ki Hajar Dewantara tentang system among, bahwa pendidikan tidak menekan dan menyenangkan sesuai kodrat alam dan kodrat zaman. Salah satu model pembelajaran yang bisa diterapkan kepada siswa untuk mewujudkan merdeka belajar menggunakan metode role playing. Tujuan penelitian ini mengakaji penerapan metode role playing dalam mewujudkan merdeka belajar melalui studi literature. Kriteria yang digunakan adalah artikel yang relevan dengan tujuan penelitian yang dipublikasikan 5 tahun terakhir melalui Google Scholar. Hasil penelitian yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahwa metode role playing memberikan ruang kebebasan pada siswa dalam mengeksplorasi diri mereka melalui peran yang dijalankan dan pembelajaran yang menyenangkan membuat siswa menjadi lebih aktif, percaya diri, terampil berkomunikasi, kreatif, dan berpikir kritis. Tantangan guru dalam menerapkan metode role playing adalah waktu dan persiapan cukup banyak dan inovasi dalam mengembangkan pembelajaran yang variatif sehingga dukungan sekolah dibutuhkan.

Unearthing Techniques Teachers Apply to Teach Linear Programming in Western Province of Zambia: Hermeneutics Perspective

This article examines the methods used by teachers in Zambia's western province as they teach linear programming. It made use of the case study design. Eighteen participants were purposefully chosen for this study, and they participated in focus groups and one-on-one interviews that produced data. A thematic approach was used to analyze the generated data. According to the teachers use peer-reflective teaching, academic assessment of students, interactive methods, gathering student input, and group projects to teach linear programming. but not to the extent that they had developed their reflective practices to the point where they were becoming critical and creative thinkers. The report recommends that education standards officers maintain the regulations in place to control enrollment and classroom congestion, enabling instructors to deliver instruction effectively and efficiently and optimizing student benefits, in light of the findings.

PENGEMBANGAN MODUL BIOLOGI BERBASIS GUIDED DISCOVERY LEARNING BAGI SISWA SMP

In today's educational development, teachers are expected to be creative thinkers and producers of a variety of learning media. An additional type of educational resource that can be employed is a module. The purpose of the study is to assess whether a course on biology using guided discovery will be viable and useful. R&D is a methodology with materials and response language for JHS students, as well as validation tools from media experts. An average of 85 per cent of data collected through the validation process by qualified experts was found to meet very good criteria; similar levels were 80% for media and 95% for language experts. With extremely realistic criteria, the average score for teachers' and students' responses in the practical test was 88% and 90%, respectively. Based on the findings of this research, a biology course based on guided discovery learning can be used as teaching material for contaminated materials.

Neural Mechanisms and Benefits of Flow: A Meta Analysis

Known as “in the groove” by musicians and “in the zone” for athletes, flow is a sensation of total concentration on a single task. Since the introduction of flow theory by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1970s, researchers have continued to explore the brain science and performance benefits of such state. The three hypotheses at the forefront of flow theory include brain waves, transient hypofrontality hypothesis, and synchronization theory of flow. Beyond detailing research that supports the three hypotheses, this meta analysis works to communicate the benefits of flow and also techniques to achieve the state. Flow state can be broken down into nine main characteristics, and working to improve each individual feature can contribute to optimizing the overall flow experience. The real world implications of flow state are immeasurable, allowing humans to be more efficient learners and better creative thinkers. Most importantly, flow is not an esoteric phenomenon exclusive to people at the top of their profession. Everyone can achieve flow state, which makes the benefits tangible and realistic for all. Flow theory continues to be a heavily researched subject in psychology, and a greater public interest in the topic can further expand the field of flow science.

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING OF BECOMING A TEACHER

The education world stresses developing teachers with creative and critical thinking since student learning at every level requires good and effective teaching provided by teachers. This is important since the phenomenon of teachers losing their creativity in delivering their teaching has become increasingly prevalent. Based on this issue, this paper presents an insight into the creative and critical thinking styles of pre-service teachers in the institute of teacher education before they start their teaching profession. Using proportional stratified random sampling, 331 samples from three different institutes of teacher education have been chosen to gather information in this study. A quantitative approach using the YCreative-Critical Styles test is deployed to indicate the thinking styles among respondents. All data was analysed descriptively to review the creative and critical thinking styles among pre-service teachers based on gender, age group classification, and their educational level. The dispersion of thinking styles according to gender, age, and education levels reveals that the weightage is inclined from creative to balanced and ends at critical thinking. The results indicated that the majority of pre-service teachers (n = 161) possess critical thinking styles compared to balanced and critical thinking styles. Interestingly, critical thinking styles are higher (f = 91) when pre-service teachers are newly enrolled in the programme, and this number declines (f = 70) when compared to those already in programme. Based on these results, it is suggested that the capability of creative and critical thinking should be developed among pre-service teachers since they are in training. It is hoped that helping pre-service teachers become future teachers with the ability to be creative and critical thinkers will contribute to better learning experiences for their students in the future.

Экзистенциальная личность и специфика философского стиля Жоржа Батая: проблема взаимовлияния

The article examines the features of the existential personality, the ideological origins of creativity and the spe-cifics of the philosophical style of the French thinker J. Bataille. The features of J. Bataille’s paradoxical thinking are shown, the value of which is in the ability to analyze various mental states of a person, in the destruction of standard philosophical structures and the creation of new forms of philosophical understanding of reality. The application of the phenomenological approach made it possible to identify the features of J. Bataille’s literary and philosophical style, the inconsistency and complexity of interpreting his texts addressed to existential expe-rience in the act of tragedy, delusions or the search for truth, inseparable from the transgressive state of a per-son. The authors determined that in J. Bataille’s work, the specifics of language, vocabulary, and the ability to express the hidden meaning remind of the author himself, of his constant desire to invade the realm of the im-possible. The study of the problem of the mutual influence of the existential personality and J. Bataille’s philo-sophical thinking was carried out using a hermeneutic approach. The authors also identified a number of XXth century thinkers, such as M. Foucault, N. Land, J. Derridа, whose works were significantly influenced by Ba-taille’s thinking. The novelty of this study is the disclosure of evaluative judgments of the literary style of the French philosopher by modern authors and specialists in the philosophical work of J. Bataille.

A Pedagogy of Possibility

Using our work together on an upper-level undergraduate English course as an example, we illustrate that a just combination of librarian and faculty skills and labor, made visible to each other and to students, creates the conditions to enact a transformative student-centered pedagogical approach with special collections as a site of learning and activism. However, we first had to recognize, reflect on, and reject the power dynamics that pervade librarian-faculty collaboration. We will expound on our shared critique of power within the neoliberal corporatized academy that helped us get beyond the conventional librarian-faculty teaching partnership to experiment with critical pedagogies of possibility and enact a feminist praxis; modeling and cultivating interdependent confidence and vulnerability to empower students to be free and creative thinkers.

Current Social Studies Learning: Technology-Based Learning Media for Character Education

Technology-based learning mediums should include character education to ensure that students' character and technical and academic skills are built. Character education in technology-based learning media will improve students' learning experiences, promote a holistic understanding, and produce a moral generation. This article focuses on optimizing the use of technology-based learning media as a contemporary learning tool for professional social studies teachers, its use in implementing student character education, and its role and challenges in using it. This qualitative descriptive employs a literature study to gather academic data on "Optimal Utilisation of Technology-Based Learning Media in Contemporary Social Sciences Education for Character Development Towards Society 5.0." Scopus-indexed 2013–2023 academic publications were used for the literature analysis. This study technique synthesizes and analyses literature to determine how technology-based learning media are employed in character education in current social studies education and how to prepare students for society. 5.0. This research examines how professional social studies teachers advance national education, how technology-based learning media can create a character-based, moral, and culturally rich educational environment that maintains and expands local cultural wisdom in students' character education, and how professional social studies instructors use technology-based learning media to develop students. Full discussion in this article. Teacher information and technology literacy are needed to implement technology-based learning and address social issues. 5.0. Instilling active, creative, inventive, and critical thinkers requires a learner-centered strategy and effective instruction.

Otto Friedrich Bolnow: between philosophy and pedagogy: monograph

The monograph highlights the creative heritage of the German 20th century thinker Otto Friedrich Bolnow (1903–1991): for the first time in Russian literature, an attempt has been made to reconstruct his creative heritage, and a systematic analysis of his philosophical and pedagogical views is given. Along with this, the publication contains a translation of an essay by O.F. Bolnova on a similar topic - “Self-Representation”. The book is intended for specialists in the field of philosophy and pedagogy, as well as the history of German culture.

Bataille and the Poverty of Academic Form

This paper argues that the dominant modes of academic address, the conference paper, the journal article, and the monograph, reinforce problematic and exclusionary assumptions concerning what counts as legitimate research, whilst also restricting academic enquiry and impoverishing intellectual life. It makes its case by exploring in some detail the intellectual commitments of one the West’s more wayward 20th century thinkers, Georges Bataille. It suggests that Bataille presents not simply a conceptual armoury (and one among many) for critiquing Western logocentrism from within, but offers an example of what a less domesticated, less stylistically narrowed mode of thinking might look like.

Innovations in technology education toward technological literacy – A study of two high schools in South Africa

Over the past two decades, South Africa has emphasised the need for school learners to be technologically literate by the end of high school. Specifically, South Africa’s Department of Education (2007) and the Department of Basic Education (2019) stated that it was critical for high school learners to be technologically literate by the end of their schooling. The inclusion of Technology as a subject within the South African education policy framework was considered an important innovation, an attempt at making the curriculum compatible with the skills needed of a globalised economy (Ankiewicz, 2020). Given this context, the goal for teaching Technology as a school subject should enable both learners and teachers to acquire skills, values, knowledge, and attitudes to become critical and creative thinkers and developers. There is a need to continuously explore ways to promote the effective teaching and learning of Technology at high school level. This study explores the teachers’ adoption of ICT into the teaching of the school subject Technology in two Cape Town high schools. The theoretical framework drawn on in this study is the RAT model (Hughes et al., 2006), which helps in the understanding of an individual learners’ and teachers’ personal experiences of teaching, and understanding technology’s role in teaching, learning, and curricular practices. The study explores the presence or absence of ICT adoption and utilisation in the teaching of Technology, as well as techniques that were applied within pedagogical practices. The research design was a multiple case study at the two schools in the Province of the Western Cape. A qualitative approach was used to collect and analyse the data. Semi-structured interviews with both the Grade 9 learners and teachers were conducted. Focus group discussions were conducted with the learners at the selected high schools, herein referred to as School A and School B. Based on the findings, recommendations will be disseminated to the Department of Basic Education in raising the learners’ levels of technological literacy through innovative teaching and learning strategies.

Strategy Islamic Education in Indonesia Facing the Era of Society

Islamic education today is facing challenges in welcoming the era of society 5.0. The challenge in the era of society 5.0 is to focus on increasing human resources because the era of society 5.0 places humans as the main component. In order to always exist and be able to face the era of society, the management of Islamic education is very important. This research is a literature study that interprets data by descriptive analysis. This study aims to see and examine the problems and challenges as well as the strategies used in the management of Islamic education to face the era of society 5.0. The results of the study show that the problems and challenges of Islamic education management related to human resources are still lacking in sufficient resources and there are main competencies that must be owned by individuals, namely:creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration.The Islamic education management strategy in facing the era of society 5.0 is by preparing human resources who have digital capabilities and are innovative and creative thinkers; change paradigm educational institutions; as well as preparing leaders of educational institutions who have a leadership spirit and are able to collaborate so that the demands for life skills in the 21st century are met.