The perception of creativity and creative abilities among general education and special education teachers

• Published in: Thinking skills and creativity 2021-06, Vol.40, p.100820, Article 100820
• Main Authors: Kasirer, Anat, Shnitzer-Meirovich, Shlomit
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Creativity; Divergent thinking; Perception; Special education; Student characteristics
• ISSN: 1871-1871; 1878-0423
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100820

Previous studies have shown that creativity has become an educational imperative and one of the core competencies recognized by proponents of 21st century education. Teachers’ perception regarding creativity are an important key to understanding the creative processes in the classroom. The current study investigates the differences in creativity perception and creativity potential between 59 special education teachers and 58 general education teachers. The Teacher’s Perceptions of Student Characteristics Survey was used to examine the teachers’ perception regarding their own creativity and regarding their desirability of the traits associated with creativity among their students. The RAT measured the teachers convergent thinking creativity and the TACT measured the teachers’ divergent thinking creativity. The results indicate that although teachers in both study groups perceived themselves as having a high creativity level and considered creativity to be the most important educational goal, most teachers preferred less creative characteristics among their students. The findings also highlight the differences between general education teachers and special education teachers in their perception of creativity and their creative ability. Finally, this study further assessed the contribution of the teacher’s background characteristics and their creativity level to the overall ratings of desirability of the traits associated with creativity and of the traits contradictive to creativity among their students. The results emphasize the tension between highly regarded values such as creativity and the system’s demand from teachers to master knowledge and skills of the curriculum, especially in GE whom exhibited stronger preference for non-creative traits among their students.