Dissertation
Creative skills PK-8 teachers used for instruction during COVID-19 and beyond
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Mar 2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00002008
Abstract
This exploratory case study highlights the growing importance of creativity in the classroom. Researchers in creativity and education call for exposure to creativity and creative problem-solving as students prepare for their professional lives. If students are to be exposed to more creativity in the classroom, the teacher must be able to identify their own creative skills and value creativity. With their limited time to meet the numerous instructional demands of the state-mandated curriculum, time to indulge in creative thinking and processes is almost nonexistent. This challenges classroom teachers to not only cover their curriculum but also to develop students' creative potential. There is little research on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted teachers' creative skills and pedagogy. During the pandemic, circumstances changed to remove challenges such as state-mandated testing. This unique setting may have provided an opportunity for teacher participants to use their creative skills in a different way. Teacher participants self-assessed their creative skills related to their instruction tied to 11 themes of creativity both before and after the pandemic. Semi-structured teacher interviews discussed their assessments, perceptions, challenges, and recommendations to increase their own creativity and also incorporate these skills into the classroom. Understanding teachers' creative skills and their instructional practices may inform how administrators support and provide professional development that can further develop teachers' creativity. Recommendations include more awareness of the specific creative skills and how the larger system can support creativity in schools. When teachers better understand their creative skills, they are better suited to develop their students' creativity. Keywords: creativity, creative skills, COVID-19 pandemic, teaching for creativity, instructional practices
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Details
- Title
- Creative skills PK-8 teachers used for instruction during COVID-19 and beyond
- Creators
- Ericka Marie Pitman
- Contributors
- Lawrence J. Keiser (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- viii, 111 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021867512704721