Creativity enhancement in Hong Kong classrooms: perspectives from gifted education teachers

Abstract

In Hong Kong, creativity has been identified as a priority in the school curriculum. Recent studies have shown that although teachers are aware of the need to incorporate creativity into their teaching, there are still difficulties in its implementation. This study examined creativity enhancement from the perspective of Hong Kong primary teachers who had a background in gifted education. It was anticipated that these teachers would have certain strengths in fostering creativity in their students. The study aimed to identify these strengths, and to investigate 17 factors which may be conducive to creativity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten teachers with a background in gifted education from local primary schools in Hong Kong. Interview questions focused on: the teachers’ beliefs about creativity; their creativity-fostering practices in the classroom; and the personal and environmental factors which affected such practices. After analysis of the interview data, it was found that the teachers had a holistic view of creativity. They also made conscious choices to implement creativity-relevant strategies in their lesson planning. In addition, there were several personal and environmental factors which affected their practices. The three main implications arising from the findings include professional training for creativity strategies, awareness of the positive and negative influences on creativity-fostering practices, and a supportive educational environment