Teaching for Creativity: Examining the Beliefs of Early Childhood Teachers and Their Influence on Teaching Practices

• In Event: Roundtable Session 117
  In Roundtable Session: Reflecting on Practice and Reflective Practice in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about good creative practices and their actual instruction, namely, characteristics of creative teacher, environmental settings, teaching strategies and criteria for judging creativity. The participants were fifteen teachers from five Hong Kong preschools. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were used to collect data. Results showed that teachers held similar beliefs about good creative practice and these beliefs generally aligned with ideas suggested in the literature. Findings revealed both congruity and inconsistencies between teachers’ stated beliefs and their practice and suggested that teachers’ instructional practices were a function of many influences rather than just their beliefs. The findings have implications for teacher education programmes, professional development and the implementation of creativity reform.

Authors

• Hun Ping Rebecca Cheung, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

• Mei Lee Ng, The Hong Kong Institute of Education