Are Teachers' Implicit Theories of Creativity Related to the Recognition of Their Students' Creativity?

Abstract

We examine the structure of implicit theories of creativity among Polish high schools teachers and the role those theories play for the accuracy of teachers' assessment of their students' creativity. Latent class analysis revealed the existence of four classes of teachers, whose perception of a creative student differed: two of these classes defined a creative student incoherently with the existing theories of creativity, and the other two classes did that in accordance with Kirton's (1976) theory of creativity styles, that is, as adaptors or innovators. Teachers who perceived a creative student as an adaptor tended to more accurately assess the creativity of females, whereas teachers perceiving a creative student as an innovator more accurately assessed the creativity of males. We discuss the theoretical and practical consequences of these findings.

Between Individualism and Collectivism: Perception and Profiles of Creativity in Poland and Japan

“…Among implicit theories of creativity one can also find opinions concerning creative students. They are described as innovative, independent and effective in problem solving, but also impulsive and rude at the same time (Gralewski & Karwowski, 2016). This type of understanding is closer to the image of innovators, from creative styles theory (Kirton, 1976).…”

“…This type of understanding is closer to the image of innovators, from creative styles theory (Kirton, 1976). On the other hand, teachers tend to perceive creative students as adaptors (Kirton, 1976), polite and subordinate, with high levels of perseverance; or as those capable of creating new ideas and problem solving (Gralewski & Karwowski, 2016).…”

The Indirect Effect of Teachers’ Creative Mindsets on Teaching Creativity

“…Teachers' growth and fixed mindsets have been an emerging research area in teacher education (Gutshall, 2013(Gutshall, , 2014 as well as in the area of fostering creativity (Rubenstein et al, 2013). Teachers' beliefs about creativity affect their recognition of creative potential in children (Gralewski & Karwowski, 2016). Teachers' recognitions correspondingly are reflected in their feedback of students' creative performance and instructional decisions.…”

“…Teachers' perceptions are important as they may directly and indirectly affect the cultivation of students' creative potential. On one hand, teachers' perceptions may affect the accuracy of recognizing students' creative potential (Gralewski & Karwowski, 2016). For instance, teachers' ratings of students' creative potential vary by student gender due to teachers' gendered expectations and perceptions about creative people (Gralewski & Karwowski, 2013).…”

Exploring Creativity in Social Studies Education for Elementary Grades: Teachers’ Opinions and Interpretations

“…They also mentioned different kinds of materials, the support from school management, family, sustainable parent-school partnership, psychological support, technology-based learning to promote creativity. (Gralewski, 2016;Gralewski & Karwowski, 2016). Secondly, when this finding is viewed in relation to teacher practices, teachers' views did not overlap with their implementations, and there were considerable differences among the two constructs.…”