Use Of Creative Methods Research Articles

The play’s the thing: reflections on the use of playwriting as creative practice within an education studies PhD

Purpose Expanding on Harris and Sinclair (2014, p. 5) claim that “the writing of a play is an act of inquiry”, this paper aims to consider the joyful entanglements, messiness and friction-led use of creative methods within the context of a PhD in education studies. Design/methodology/approach Amplifying the voices of both doctoral student and supervisor, the authors explain how the construction of a dramatic script informed the crafting of an alternative format thesis within which “the play’s the thing” (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2). In responding to the influence of creativity in the lives of both the student and the supervisor, the paper uses creative and reflective writing as a method of inquiry to explore how practice and procedure are navigated in relation to non-standard theses submissions. Findings The authors find that academic expectancy continues to influence the structure, form and presentation of the PhD thesis and argue that enduring tensions surrounding the reverence of “tradition” impact the application and nature of creativity. Originality/value The piece aims to examine the multiple challenges faced but, importantly, highlights how the creative partnership between supervisor and student has forged changes in contemporary doctoral education in the awarding institution and the implications for future practice within doctoral education more broadly.

Creative research with indigenous women: challenging marginalisation through collective spaces and livelihoods practices

PurposeIn this paper we ask: “What are the opportunities and challenges that creative methods pose in terms of conducting research processes with indigenous peoples impacted by emergencies and disasters?” To do that, we critically examine the creative and collaborative methodological approaches applied in the research project, Moving with Risk: Forced Displacement and Vulnerability in Colombia. This project sought to understand the trajectories of risk of families who were forcibly displaced as a result of the armed conflict in Colombia and resettled in areas at risk of disaster.Design/methodology/approachThis article is intentionally written from the perspective of the researchers’ positionality. In doing so, we embrace writing that is situated and embodied in the researcher’s experiences and positionalities. This reflexive writing allows us to question the methodological experience of the research project we are analysing and, at the same time, ourselves, “the researchers” be questioned by it.FindingsIn this paper, we show how creative methods and participatory research can foster awareness and become the basis for inclusive and reciprocal research processes with indigenous communities in disaster studies. Specifically, we show that the use of creative methods helped us recognise that agency needs to be framed in collective spaces with the indigenous women we were working with and in relation to their livelihoods needs. We argue that finding spaces to conduct collaborative research and recognize agency is inextricably related to how the researchers reflect on their positionality.Originality/valueThis article contributes to critical perspectives in Disaster Studies and to an overall understanding of the role that creative methodologies play in research processes with people affected by disasters. It provides a novel perspective on the opportunities and challenges of applying arts-based methods in disaster risk studies with indigenous communities in Latin America.

The realities of utilising participatory research and creative methods to explore the experiences of non-heterosexual coaches

ABSTRACT Participatory research is “with”, “for” and “by” participants, rather than “on” or “to” them, thereby moving away from a traditional subject-researcher relationship towards a cooperative approach. Participatory research seeks empowering and equitable ways to conduct research with participants, which is pertinent with marginalised groups that have historically been side-lined by traditional methods. This article explores the value of participatory research with non-heterosexual coaches, and the importance of centralising participants’ lived experience and knowledge in research. Given the limited use of creative methods within coaching research, attention will be focused on the realities of deploying such methods. We argue that coaches in research should have the opportunity to authentically express their experiences, and insights through methods of their choosing. In doing so, diverse, intersectional knowledge may be shared, and opportunities created to support the exploration of sensitive, complex topics that exist within coaching practice.

DSRO based data annotation with improved EfficientNet for forest fire detection using image processing in IoT environment

<p>The increasing risk of forest fires demands sophisticated detection systems in order to mitigate the environment effectively. The technology under consideration enhances real-time monitoring and reaction by functioning inside an Internet of Things (IoT) architecture. Even though Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms have improved fire detection systems, they are quite expensive and energy-intensive due to their high computing needs. With the use of creative methods for data augmentation and optimization as well as a shared feature extraction module, this research study offers a thorough fire detection model using an improved EfficientNet that tackles these issues. Three technical components are creatively combined in the realm of forest fire detection by this study. The first stage is the use of diagonal swap of random (DSRO) data annotation, which makes use of spatial connections in the data to improve the model’s understanding of complex aspects that are essential for precisely identifying possible fire breakouts. By adding a shared feature extraction module across three functions, the second stage solves difficulties in feature extraction and target identification. This greatly increases the model’s performance in complicated forest scenes while reducing false positives and false negatives. The third and final stage focuses on improving the EfficientNet model’s capacity for accurate forest fire categorization. When taken as a whole, these technical components upon creative combination improve the existing technology in forest fire detection and provide a thorough and practical strategy for reducing environmental hazards. For the purpose of hyperparameter tuning in the EfficientNet for the classification of forest fires, an improved Harris Hawks optimization (HHO) is used. By using the Cauchy mutation approach with adaptive weight, HHO expands the search space, boosts population diversity, and improves overall exploration. By including the sine-cosine algorithm (SCA) into the optimization process, the likelihood of local extremum occurrences is decreased. The proposed strategy is successful compared to other existing models, as shown by the experimental findings that show an improvement of 5% in accuracy compared to the standard existing model, and an improvement of 2% compared to EfficientNet model in detecting forest fire.</p>

Designing bodies. Body-based art practices as a methodological challenge for a performative urbanism

This paper starts from a critique of the anaesthetisation of contemporary cities, seen as an effect, in the town planning field, of the role scientific rationality assigns to the body in the Western culture. Feminist research is used as an epistemological filter useful to the urban planner in order to assume a critical posture towards the dominant order of knowledge. This posture is expressed in the emphasis placed on the body and to sensory experience in interpreting reality, as well as in the attention paid to qualitative analysis that can foster the use of creative methods also in urban studies. Claiming the centrality of corporality in the experience of spaces, as opposed to the marginality it holds in urban analysis and design models, the article advocates for the use of artistic-performative practices as a valid methodological channel to make traditional approaches sensitive to the understanding and transformation of places. The hypothesis is that body-based artistic experiences, included in territorial design processes, can contribute to re-signifying places and provide design reflections in the perspective of a ‘performative urbanism’. These hypotheses are investigated through an experience of co-designing and co-construction promoted in Palermo by the Eco-museum “Mare Memoria Viva”, in which methods from the performing arts were used.

The Virtual Geography of Afrodiasporic Womanist Love: Black Women Critical Educators Collectively Cultivating Solidarity and (En)countering Loneliness Online

In this multimodal article, we respond to the pervasive erasure of Black women’s knowledge-making practices and pedagogies in academic literature writ large while illustrating the use of creative methods for making meaning of community, connection, sociality, and solidarity, in virtual or online adult learner education spaces. We begin by narrating how our collective of U.S.-based Black women comparative and international education scholar-practitioners lovingly banded together for a Study Abroad Program. We theorize the diasporic Blackness undergirding our womanist love of one another as a spatial, relational, corporeal, and political force helpful for cultivating critical community and affective solidarity in our virtual geographic context. Then, using kitchen-table talk as a reflexive method of inquiry, we probe the particularities of that Afrodiasporic womanist love—the energy cohering our collective in an online environment—as noun and verb: a source of sustenance, a reprieve from loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a care-full comforting and healing practice. We locate our theorizing in the genealogy of Black feminist thought, and to interrogate how Afrodiasporic womanist love is shaped by and situated in time, space, and body(ies), we explore our geohistories and legacies. We conclude by reflecting on how, in addition to building solidarity, Afrodiasporic womanist love helped us form a supportive critical community online that provided sanctuary as we (re)conceptualized justice, freedom, and humanity in our individual and collective praxis vis-à-vis the intimacy, authenticity, and vulnerability demanded by this type of Black love.

CREATIVE DESIGN METHODS FOR IOT DATA ETHICS IN HYBRID SPACES

This paper presents the use of creative methods including walking workshops, design fiction and policy prototyping to investigate questions of trust, security and ethics in public space Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. We describe how the walking workshops, or 'walkshops', were developed to incorporate both real IoT deployments, and design fictions representing mundane speculations, in the context of a city in the North-West of England. The first event was held in the physical city, highlighting its hybrid nature as ubiquitous data collection becomes common. The event was also repeated in a digital hybrid space created for this purpose which replicated the features of the city walk virtually. These activities were used to engage with local council officers and cybersecurity experts, and supported the development of new local government policies for secure and ethical IoT deployment. The outcomes of this work include reflections on the use of these methods, the delivery of policy recommendations, and the development of an online tool to support organizations in consideration of IoT deployments. Potential users of this tool include public bodies evaluating whether or not deployments conform to policy, those undertaking the design or procurement process for a deployment, and any other organizations assessing ethical and security aspects of IoT. We reflect on how combining such creative methods with others such as speculative design allows us a deeper insight into questions of data ownership, ethical data practice and data governance.

USE OF CREATIVE METHODS OF TEACHING STUDENTS TO READ IN THE PROCESS OF LITERACY TEACHING

this article presents creative methods of teaching elementary school students to read in the process of literacy training in the period when the current process of globalization and reform of society requires serious changes in the education system, types of reading and didactic tools were used.

Creative Teaching Methods in the Formation of Language and Speech Competencies: Experience Working with Arab Students

The article raises the topical issue of teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language to Arab students. Representatives of the Arab world have specific features in behavior, attitude to the organization of the educational process associated with cultural traditions, and upbringing. The Ukrainian system of higher education offers high-quality training. Among scientists, teachers, and methodologists, discussions are underway to choose the most effective methods of teaching international students the Ukrainian language. The study of creative methods of teaching Arabic students Ukrainian as a foreign language is very important, as it has not yet been the subject of a separate scientific study, and has not been covered in a separate article. The goal of our article is to outline the most effective methods of forming language and speech competencies for Arab students. The goal involves completing tasks: 1) to define language and speech competence; 2) to identify the effective use of language learning creative methods (classroom and distance education); 3) to check the effectiveness of the use of creative teaching methods in the formation of language and speech competencies of Arab students in listening, reading, speaking and writing. According to the authors of the article, creative methods are methods that meet the psychological, age, and mental characteristics of Arab students. We concluded that the active use of creative methods in the educational process gives positive results informed language and speech competencies, due to which international students have the opportunity to study and communicate in Ukrainian-speaking environment. We consider such results to prove.

Bringing creative psychotherapies to primary NHS Mental Health Services in the UK: A feasibility study on patient and staff experiences of arts for the blues workshops delivered at Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services

AbstractThere have been several arguments for the need to generate evidence‐based creative forms of psychological interventions in Improving Access to Psychological Services (IAPT), the main primary mental health provider in hospitals in England, UK. In this feasibility study, we sought to identify helpful and unhelpful factors of a new creative group psychotherapy, titled Arts for the Blues. We also wanted to find out whether the research tools used were acceptable and sensitive. We therefore engaged a group of seven patients attending an IAPT service in the North West of England, and a group of six staff working in the same service, to attend one creative workshop each, followed by a focus group. The two focus groups were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. We also collected pre‐ and post‐measures of depression (PHQ‐9) and anxiety (GAD‐7), measures commonly used in IAPT services, plus measures of well‐being (WHO‐5), the PANAS, and goal‐setting, which were considered for acceptability and sensitivity. We received largely positive responses from service users and staff in the use of creative methods in psychotherapy. Although the measures used had limitations due to the short duration of one‐off creative workshops, we found that they were sensitive enough, easy to complete and, thus, were acceptable. We concluded that Arts for the Blues is a promising intervention in IAPT, especially since it is shaped by service users and staff working in these services. Further work is needed to establish the effectiveness of this new intervention.

Talking with children and young people with 22q11DS about their mental health, behaviour, learning and communication.

22q11DS11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a complex multisystem syndrome characterized by physical abnormalities, psychiatric comorbidities and cognitive deficits. The views of children and young people (CYP) about the challenges associated with their mental health, behaviour, learning and communication difficulties have not been reported. The aim of this study was to address this gap and to understand whether they had help and support with these and their views of this. A three-phase mixed-methods study was undertaken, involving interviews with CYP with 22q11DS, a follow-up survey for those aged 11-25 years and a stakeholder workshop at which CYP presented their views of living with 22q11DS to health professionals and parents. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed, and non-parametric statistics were used to analyse survey data. The interviews (n= 13) and survey (n= 32) indicated a mixed picture, with some CYP not reporting ongoing problems; others who had problems received help but a sizeable proportion had unmet needs and wanted to receive help. Two-thirds reported often experiencing negative feelings, and almost half had difficulties with social interactions. Family members were the main sources of support, with teaching assistants identified as an important support at school. The emotional impact of 22q11DS on CYP can be significant: They often do not understand the consequences of having 22q11DS and are frequently not given strategies to understand and manage their feelings, behaviour or problems. This leads to a range of emotions that manifest in different ways at home and at school. CYP are able to talk about the impact of different aspects of 22q11DS on them, facilitated by the use of creative methods, but they differ in how the condition affects them and their perceptions about that. It is imperative that CYP themselves are asked about their experiences, feelings and needs to ensure tailoring of interventions to their individual requirements.

Creativity as a Defining Trend of Evolvement in Modern Documentary Cinema

In the era of digital globalization, instant exchange of information, ideas, data, all traditional genres are undergoing a transformation process. The advent of digital technology has created many opportunities for the world of documentary narratives. Digital recording and archiving, modern filming technologies, the Internet, and increasingly expanding communication flows are changing both the ways, methods and techniques of creating content, and the conditions for its presentation, display and consumption. The article is devoted to a relatively new trend digital time for both the expansion and modification of old forms, and for the creation/birth of completely new versions of non-fiction cinema – in a variety of formats. The key question is how traditional types of documentary films “mutate” in a dynamically changing reality and what is the specificity of the modern documentary narrative. During the research, authors followed the structural-analytical method, it was found that the method of creative documentaries is very diverse, the use of creative methods is motivated by the need to solve not so much technical as before but artistic and communication tasks. As a result, today there is an outbreak of creative documentaries on screens and streaming platforms, which in its form is practically a hybrid of game and non-fiction cinema, where the current and global agenda, along with the accuracy of fact, reliable information, has an artistic form, demonstrating a new and fascinating film-language. It is the experiments with form, the mixing of genres, the introduction and use of visual effects subordinate to the author’s idea that expand the space of modern documentary, contributing to the creation of new types of it, such as animation-documentary, web-documentary, VR (virtual reality) genre, documentary- show. Creative documentaries, according to the authors, marks a revolutionary turn both in the development of non-fiction cinema and in the field of modern culture, influencing the consciousness of the masses.

POLYASPECTITY OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF GIFTED FUTURE TEACHERS

The problem of development of gifted future teachers, in particular in the process of professional training is little studied. The article analyzes research on the essence and content of the concept of "talent". Based on certain interpretations, the author's understanding of the giftedness of the future teacher is highlighted. Characteristic features of giftedness are determined by J. Guilford and E. Torrens. On the basis of the highlighted features of giftedness according to A. Marchuk and I. Hudym, and based on their own experience, the characteristic features of giftedness of future teachers are determined. The typology of gifted people who have common views is analyzed: according to V. Shchors (artistic, social, intellectual, sports giftedness) and D. Bohoiavlenska (explicit and implicit, potential and actual, early and late, general and special giftedness). The main functions of giftedness are successful adaptation to the surrounding world, finding solutions in all situations, especially in unpredictable ones that require creative thinking. The training of gifted future teachers should be carried out according to a predetermined individual plan, which takes into account the mental, psychological and physical abilities of the gifted future teacher. The methods of determining gifted future teachers, which can be taken into account when conducting diagnostic techniques, are indicated. The author singles out the ways of development of gifted future teachers in the process of their professional training: problem-based learning, application of modern digital technologies, use of creative methods, creation and realization of success situation, individual orientation, variety of forms and methods of teaching. It is noted that most of the development of gifted future teachers occurs during research work. The author emphasizes the need to take into account all components of the talents of future teachers for effective and comprehensive development of future teachers, including: communication, intelligence, practicality, aesthetics, spirituality, emotionality, social significance, responsibility, motivation and individuality. Gifted future teachers are of great social importance: it is important to enable the discovery of the potential of gifted students, as well as the formation and development of their abilities. The quality development of the future generation depends on the professional activity of gifted future teachers.

Possibility of comprehensive development of students in foreign language classes

The use of creative methods in teaching a foreign language is one of the factors that contribute to increasing the motivation of students, which is one of the most important prerequisites for success. The importance of creative teaching of English is confirmed by surveys and analysis of learning outcomes, because a great role in the comprehensive development of students is played by the teacher, in particular, the teacher of foreign languages, who, above all, must develop high moral qualities in their educators and build relationships with them on the basis of mutual understanding, mutual assistance, trust and mutual respect in the learning process. The problem of formation and development of a humane personality is dominant in higher education, and the decisive role of the teacher in the formation of human qualities of the student is confirmed by practice and experience. The humanization of the relationship between teacher and student is the basis of the educational function of teaching, the results of which the student will carry out in various activities, in different versions of interpersonal relationships. Goal. The purpose of this work is to analyze the basic principles of comprehensive development of students during language classes. The article emphasizes the need for a creative approach to classes, self-development of the teacher, their mastery of new technologies for learning, including distance learning. Methodology. The purpose and specificity of the study determined the use of the method of description with elements of comparative analysis for a comprehensive coverage of the problem. Results. The article emphasizes the importance of a foreign language teacher's choice of learning strategies, materials and techniques for achieving overall language success. Even during the pandemic and the development of distance learning, the basic requirements for the teacher remain unchanged. In order to successfully solve the problems of learning a foreign language in non-linguistic higher schools, a creative teacher with a high level of education and culture is needed. Оriginality. In particular, the article shows which qualities of teachers are most in demand by students themselves as a result of surveys. Practical value. The article provides some recommendations in order to achieve the desired atmosphere in the classroom, the ways to relieve stress of students who do not easily learn the language, methods of successful interaction in groups. They can be used by foreign language teachers in the classroom and in extracurricular activities.

The Consistency of Basic Principles of Internal Audit at Private Enterprises

Economic challenges of our time determine the need in clear identification and specification of management functions as part of the business processes and their control. European practices of business development give evidence of the need in a comprehensive approach to organizational, methodological and practical actions focused on building up the internal control system in symbiosis with the management department. The research objective involved an analysis of the consistency of basic principles underlying the quality of internal control at private enterprises through outlining the functions, methods and procedures of internal audit. 
 The purposes of international audit (verification of financial statements, compliance control, operational audit) are outlined. The goal and assignments of internal audit are determined in the context of private business demands. A revised approach to defining the set of functions of international audit in view of the demands articulated by business enterprises operating in the conditions of crisis economy is proposed. The essential meaning of the categories of “method”, “technique” and “methodology” is highlighted in the context of internal control. 
 The conclusion is made that the assignments of internal audit need to be solved by use of creative methods of control and innovative approaches to various situations, which requires a multifaceted classification of internal audit in view of its customer demands: technical audit, technological audit, organizational audit, legal audit, environmental audit, social audit, marketing audit. An information platform for balanced decision-making involves combinations of control functions and entails the emergence of unified forms of internal audit: risk-oriented audit, business-oriented audit, factor-oriented audit, etc.

The Practice of Innovating Research Methods

In this article, we examine how scholars innovate research methods. Based on a review of published qualitative strategy and management research, we identify highly innovative academic papers, that is, papers that demonstrate substantial novelty in every part of the research process. We work through these papers in detail to demonstrate their novelty, highlighting concrete ways in which scholars have innovated three interconnected parts of the research process: data generation, data analysis, and presentation of findings. Based on our analysis, we develop a two-layered “iceberg” model of method innovation, which shows that important principles guide the innovative use of organizational research tools. These principles are engaging in holistic innovation, being excruciatingly clear in the presentation of methods, developing theory and method together, and being reflexive in innovating methods. Our model demystifies the largely implicit process of innovating research methods. We hope it serves to orient and encourage a more creative use of methods in future studies.

Poetry in motion: Qualitative analysis, I-poems and disabled cyclists

In this article, I present three I-poems from a larger research project in which I explore the health, identity and social impacts of cycling for people with physical disabilities. I used I-poems as a means of kick-starting an in-depth, multi-perspective engagement with my interview transcripts after struggling to formulate insightful and productive thematic analysis. For me, this research project is something of a departure from my normal research processes and practices as it is taking place in partnership with a voluntary organisation. This organisation facilitated the recruitment of the research participants and had specific inputs into the research questions as well as maintaining ongoing interests in the research findings. My usual research tends to be much less structured and much more exploratory and messy than this. And yet, for me, this messiness facilitates insight and creative engagement which is intensely productive in terms of both findings and outputs – often via the use of creative methods. Therefore, as much as I have enjoyed conducting the research for this project and liaising with the organisation and meeting the participants, I struggled to find my ‘researcher mojo’ when working with the transcripts. In this context, I-poems became a creative stimulant for productive engagement with the transcripts and deepening my critical and reflective insights into the data.

ADMINISTRATIVE CREATIVITY IN PROBLEM SOLVING AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO JOB SATISFACTION AMONG PRINCIPALS OF POST BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN THE NORTH AL-BATINAH GOVERNORATE IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN

This quantitative study aims to identify administrative creativity and its strategies’ role in solving problems and determining its relationship to job satisfaction among principals of North Al Batinah governorate schools in the Sultanate of Oman. The problem lies in confirming studies that school principals lack the desire and educational experience, which hinders their ability to lead change and the weak elements of creativity and experience in their schools. The researcher adopted the descriptive approach in his study, through a (52) statements questionnaire, distributed in (3) axes are: problems, administrative creativity and job satisfaction. The study population included (141) principals, and a random sample of (39) principals was chosen. The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis method, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The study reached several results, including: that there is a positive correlation at the level of significance (0.05) between the level of managers' use of creative methods in solving problems and the level of job satisfaction of employees, also showed a positive correlation at the level of significance (0.05) between the level of managers use of methods Management of organizational conflict and the level of employee satisfaction.

Untellable tales and uncertain futures: the unfolding narratives of young adults with cancer

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we examine the use of creative methods for understanding the experience of young adults aged between 16 and 30 years over a year following a cancer diagnosis. Exploring the renegotiation of identity, the narrative, longitudinal research design of the study demonstrated the unfolding process of the narrative work between participants and researcher. We used a combination of visual, spoken and reflexive psychosocial approaches to understand emergent narratives, many of which do not always find symbolisation in language. Our methodological approach focused on the difficult and sometimes ‘unspeakable’ nature of the young adults’ narratives, demonstrating the importance of different modes of communication in articulating complicated relations with uncertain futures. In this respect the links between narrative, social action and the imagining of possible futures are precarious. In this paper, we explore how untellable issues were explored, and the challenges of doing so.

Promoting Innovation and Creativity: The Case of Human Factor in Romanian SMEs

Innovation has become the central engine of economic well-being, competitiveness, employment and long-term income growth for most economies. As the European Union Innovation Scoreboard shows, Romania is part of the modest innovators group. The situation of innovation in Romania has worsened so much that since 2015 it occupies the last place in the EU. The deterioration of the innovation condition in Romania is confirmed by The Global Competitiveness Report. There is a direct link between state measures and performance in innovation, as shown by the "Contributors and Detractors: Ranking Countries’ Impact on Global Innovation” report. The process of innovation itself involves a concerted effort of economic agents and the state, the latter having the role of facilitating, consolidating and supporting innovative activities. The innovative potential of an enterprise can be strengthened by the human factor through the use of creative methods and techniques.