Unicorn Acts and Thinking Hats: Imaginative Contexts to Situate Learning for Preservice Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 54
  In Roundtable Session: The Power of Art for Democratic Realization

Abstract

We explored imagination as a method of reconceptualising teacher education at a private university through a decentralized collaborative model for preparation, creative imaging and creative transforminginvolving four university courses and four local private preschools. Our goal was: 1) To situate learning in imaginative contexts for pre-service teachers while engaging in related studies and experiences that would enable them to plan meaningful creative problem solving activities for children, and 2) to study pre-service teachers’ perceptions on imagination. Results showed that imagination can be a successful strategy for developing situated creative problem solving contexts, and pre-service teachers’ continuous involvement in such contexts may positively affect how they perceive imagination.

Authors

• Eliza Pitri, University of Nicosia

• Agni Stylianou-Georgiou, University of Nicosia