Torrance Journal for Applied Creativity

How Can Teachers Foster Creativity in
the Classroom?
A methodical literature review
of the role of teachers in promoting
creativity in the classroom reveals several
research-based conclusions that highlight
the important role teachers play in
maximizing creative potential (Davies et
al., 2014). In general, fostering creativity
in the classroom can be as simple as
displaying a positive attitude towards
creativity, modeling creative behaviors,
teaching strategies and techniques, and
fostering a safe and resourceful learning
environment.
Many of these techniques are
in line with Torrance’s (1963, 1969, and
1977) assertions on how teachers can
promote creativity in the classroom. For
instance, modeling creative behavior can
be accomplished by merely asking and
responding to questions in a manner that
does not rely fully on rote memorization.
In a science lesson, instead of asking,
“What is the order of the planets in our
solar system?” the teacher who wants to
promote productive and divergent thinking,
a necessary component of creativity,
might say, “Why or how did the order
of our planets come to be?” They may
further challenge their students’ imagination
by posing a scenario: “Suppose the
planets were knocked out of order; what
might be the immediate result and what
might happen years from now? How
would life on Earth be different tomorrow
or in 100 years?”
Building positive relationships
with students supports the establishment
of a psychologically safe creative
learning environment where children can
express their ideas freely and without
judgement. To do this, teachers must be
willing to “permit one thing to lead to
another, to embark with the child on an
unknown adventure” (Torrance, 1977. p.
26). As part of this adventure, we should
celebrate and recognize the integral part
we play in creating a classroom learning
environment that allows our students
to tap into their inborn potential. An
affirming, non-threatening climate that
fosters creativity empowers students to
realize their potential and enhance their
12
creative abilities. Teachers should focus
on each child’s creative potential rather
than products such as grades that often
denote academic achievement. This
enables us to more appropriately address
the individual educational needs of each
child.
What Makes An Accepting
Classroom Atmosphere?
Creativity has the potential to
benefit all aspects of an organization’s
functions (Amabile, 1998). One way to
understand the interplay between creativity
and the organization is through
the lens of organizational climate, or the
patterns of behavior, attitudes, and feelings
that exist within an organization.
As mentioned before, all attempts to
maximize creativity in the classroom are
dictated by the classroom climate, a key
ingredient of which is tolerance. An intolerant
classroom can serve to squelch
creative ideas as “children are afraid
to think any except the most obvious
ideas, if they do not feel it safe” (Torrance
& Myers, 1970, p. 104). Creative
children and adults require a more tolerant
and permissive classroom learning
environment (Florida, 2004), thereby
reinforcing the need for teachers “to
provide chances for children to learn,
think, and discover without threats of
immediate evaluation” (Torrance, 1977,
p. 25).
Tolerance and appreciation
for diversity in the classroom serve
to increase opportunities for creative
undertakings (Runco, 2007, p. 151).
Practically speaking, Torrance and
Safter (1990) noted, “Perhaps the most
important response a teacher can make
to a pupil is to be respectful of the ideas
and questions he presents” (p. 15).
Guilford (1950) recognized creativity
as a natural resource to be cultivated
through education, but only if the
teachers who tolerate and foster creative
thinking in their classrooms can overcome
the prevailing goals of education.
To foster such a climate teachers should
focus instruction on encouraging
students to examine information from
different perspectives, to dig deeper, to
not be afraid to make guesses, to become
more passionately involved in the problem
at hand, to puzzle over baffling and
confusing information, and to have fun
(Torrance, 1977).
How Can Teachers Enhance
Classroom Creativity?
Perhaps the most widely used
model for fostering creative thinking in
the classroom is the Creative Problem
Solving model (CPS), developed by
Alex Osborne and Sidney Parnes in the
1950’s. A model for tackling a problem
or task from a creative perspective, CPS
is comprised of the 6-steps outlined
below (Parnes, 1981):
Creative Problem Solving
Model (CPS)
1. Objective Finding:
Identification of the goal,
challenge, or wish
2. Fact Finding:
Gathering data
3. Problem Finding:
Clarifying the problem
4. Idea Finding:
Generating ideas
5. Solution Finding:
Selecting and strengthening
solutions
6. Acceptance Finding:
Developing an action plan.
Michael Wisneski