The Creativity Cascade Dr Ashley Compton Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln

“We’re trying to get our students into a certain frame of mind. That they question, that there’s no one right answer; that we can respond in a number of ways. If we can get them to be thinking like that then the likelihood is that they’re going to go into school and be creative and work with the structures that they have to work within in a creative way.” (Beth, tutor interview)

Outline of research Practitioner research – an undergraduate primary education with QTS programme Paradigm: Interpretivist, social constructivist Methodology: Illuminative evaluation Objectives: 1.To understand the meanings of the word ‘creativity’ for tutors and students on this programme 2.To explore the current practice and perceptions of creativity in summative assessment, from the viewpoints of both tutors and students 3.To explore the current practice and perceptions of creativity in school placement

Outline of research Semi-structured interviews with all permanent tutors (n=9) Virtual focus group with students Semi-structured interviews with students (n=6) Unstructured interview with ‘expert’ student (n=1) Questionnaires with Y2 (n=32) and Y1 (n=55) Document analysis – All assignment briefs and marking grids – All SP booklets and RPD – Sample of assignment feedback – Sample of SP lesson observation feedback

What is Creativity? I think it’s an extremely hard thing to say what it means. And I think that even when you say what it means there could be examples where you’d say, ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ (Fiona, tutor interview)

Creativity Pyramid noticing; taking an interest; observing; exploring; questioning; investigating; researching; expressing thoughts and feelings; imagining; making choices; creating; making making connections; relating; showing insight; synthesising; developing own style; independent thinking; solving problems; transforming; exercising judgement / evaluating; challenging; taking risks making something new and valuable to society as a whole, working at the pinnacle of the field in skills, knowledge, understanding and vision using skills, knowledge and imagination to make something new and valuable to the peer group / local community; challenging and engaging an audience; original thinking; innovating Layer 4 Layer 3 Layer 2 Layer 1

Shared Definition of Creativity Tutors and Students

Factors promoting Creativity Year 1, n=55 Year 2, n=32 FacilitatesInhibitsEitherNo effect Y1Y2Y1Y2Y1Y2Y1Y2 Being passionate about the subject 93% (51) 100% (32) 4% (2) 0% (0) 4% (2) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) Being confident in the subject 80% (44) 91% (29) 4% (2) 0% (0) 16% (9) 9% (3) 0% (0) 0% (0) Being knowledgeable in the subject 85% (47) 81% (26) 2% (1) 0% (0) 9% (5) 19% (6) 4% (2) 0% (0) Having a real purpose 71% (39) 77% (24) 7% (4) 0% (0) 18% (10) 23% (7) 4% (2) 0% (0) Free choice of content 55% (30) 72% (23) 15% (8) 16% (5) 29% (16) 13% (4) 2% (1) 0% (0) Free choice of format 43% (23) 81% (26) 19% (10) 6% (2) 37% (20) 13% (4) 2% (1) 0% (0) For an audience33% (18) 52% (16) 24% (13) 13% (4) 43% (23) 32% (10) 0% (0) 3% (1)

Opportunities for creativity in assessment Presentations Investigations / Research SoW Essays Choice and interpretation Engaging audience Exams NOT seen as creative

Prominent Creativity terms in Assignments In briefs, marking grids and tutor feedback: Making connections Selection / choice Evaluation (less common in feedback) Presentation / Engaging an audience Feedback also included comments related to creative teaching.

SP and AfL “The thing that placement gives is more of a chance to restart or learn from experience and build very quickly. Where what the assignment does is make you wait for a month after hand in and then get feedback that may or may not be relevant to you. Life may have moved on to a degree and you’re never going to do that assignment ever again. Whereas school practice, tomorrow’s another day, if today was a disaster we can try something different and just keep moving on, moving on, and the feedback’s pretty much instantaneous.” (Ian, tutor interview)

Creative Teaching / Teaching for Creativity “Once you know what you’ve got to teach you can always put your creative spin on it and how the children are going to learn in a creative way or how you can be creative to allow them to learn.” (Keith, Y2, December interview) “It’s what teaching’s all about. It’s designing opportunities that are creative, that allow children to be creative, that allow you to be creative.” (Emily, tutor interview)

Types of Teacher and Pupil Creativity Teacher creativityNo.Pupil creativityNo. Making / choosing / organising resources 23Drama / role play / small world play30 Cross-curricular approach16Making a product20 Providing choices / freedom16Exploring / investigating / experimenting17 Use of ICT10Making choices / own interpretation15 Innovative approach9 Creating art work – painting, printing, drawing, 3-D work 12 Providing a purpose / context8 Writing composition – poetry, stories, non-fiction, play scripts, news report 11 Teacher in role5Designing6 Using the outdoor environment5Performing4 Taking risks4Evaluating4 Promoting imagination / originality3Composing – dance, music3 Adapting the classroom environment3Imagining2 Creative use of TA2Problem solving2 Carousel2Child-initiated learning2 Being flexible with time2Asking questions1 Challenging1

Factors Promoting Creativity on SP School Factors Ample resources / staffing Supportive atmosphere Time – sufficient and flexible Supportive Mentor Child Factors Behaviour Enthusiasm Personal Factors Confidence Subject knowledge Enthusiasm Perceptions of own creativity Pupil engagement Pupil ownership High quality outcomes Collaboration

Recommendations: Shared definition Tutors explaining what they mean by creativity – In assessment – On school placement Students encouraged to develop and apply own definitions

Recommendations: Increased constructive alignment Objective Teaching Assignment Brief Marking grid Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2007) Teaching for Quality Learning at University, 3 rd edition, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Recommendations: Greater use of AfL More student engagement with marking criteria Students helping to formulate marking grids? More peer and self-assessment Developing formative assessments which involve children / public presentation Returning formative feedback before the mark

Recommendations: Assignment Exemplars & Teacher Mentors Balancing support / encouraging individuality

Creativity Cascade “…having the opportunity to be creative on this course has enabled me to be creative as a teacher because I’ve had those experiences myself. …if you’ve been able to give your creativity you know how to provide opportunities for the children to be creative. So that’s also how I’ve been able to do what I’ve been able to do on placement. From having those opportunities myself on this course.” (Julia, Y3, interview)