Innovative approaches to contemporary trends in education

Context

Creativity is a complex concept, as evidenced by the numerous definitions variants proposed by different psychologists. Instead of adhering to a specific definition, I came across a quote from Nobel laureate P. W. Anderson’s seminal article “More is different” about emergence:

The ability to reduce everything to simple fundamental laws does not imply the ability to start from those laws and reconstruct the universe. In the new sciences of complexity, the whole becomes not only more than but very different from the sum of its parts. (Anderson, 1972, p. 393)

This comment can be interpreted as a scientific analogy for the concept of creativity, suggesting that the capacity to create is not just a matter of recombining previously existing ideas, but rather a result of a more complex and dynamic process that emerges from the interaction of various elements.

The 1950s saw the birth of creativity as a new research domain in Western psychology, determined by the concurrent development of self-realization psychology and multiple intelligence testing, pioneered by prominent figures such as J. P. Guildford and E. P. Torrance. These developments led to the introduction of two distinct approaches to the study of creativity: the humanist and the instrumentalist approaches. In a detailed review of the field’s history, Bycroft (2012) classifies the humanist approach as part of the self-growth movement, distinguishing it from the instrumentalist approach, which emphasizes the quantification and application of creativity.

On the same lines, the cultural sociologist Andreas Reckwitz (2017) remarks that the 1950s represented a substantial structural transition in psychological techniques, with the focus shifting from psychic pathology to improvement of psychic capacities. As a result, while the study methodologies and theoretical underpinnings of the humanist and instrumentalist creativity branches can be distinctly separated, the two are united in the shared goal of enhancing creative capacity.

The Creative Process

When discussing creativity, one of the main focus areas is to analyze the creative thinking process rather than characterize the final creative product. From a humanist perspective, the construct of the creative process sets out to achieve a higher understanding of ideational thinking, similar to cognitivist research. On the other hand, the instrumentalist perspective identifies and highlights reproduceable patterns that lead to creative outputs, with emphasis on the deliberate use of creative practices.

Beginning in the 20th century, social psychologists such as Wallas (1926/2014) and Wertheimer (1945) have delved into the origins of novel ideas by analyzing autobiographical accounts (empirical observations) of polymaths (such as Henri Poincaré). The proposed models of the creative process follow a stage-like structure, consistent with developmental theories. For exemplification, the well-known model pioneered by Wallas (1926) defines the structural elements of a creative process into four stages of control: preparation (researching), incubation (unconscious processing of the information), illumination (experiencing a sudden insight), and verification (evaluating and refining the idea).

Jean Piaget propounded the constructivist theory of cognitive development in his book The Psychology of Intelligence (1952), where he introduces the biological term ontogenesis in the context of psychology. In his theory, ontogenesis refers to the individual’s gradual development of knowledge and cognitive abilities, which he argues to be a continuous process that begins at birth and advances throughout the lifespan (Piaget, 1970). He proposes that the active process proceeds in a series of stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational, each particularized by distinct ways of thinking and understanding the world, proportional to the different levels of cognitive complexity and abstraction. The main hypothesis is that the child constructs new schemas in order to adapt to their current understanding of reality, suggesting that each construction is not only the result of knowledge build-up, but rather a transformation, that is, “a complete reorganization of thought” (Sawyer, 2003, p. 13).

With regards to creativity, Piaget notes, “The real problem is how to explain novelties. I think novelties constantly intervene in development” (Piaget, 1971, p. 192). In his later work “Genetic epistemology” (1970), he introduces the interplay between individual development and scientific advancement (phylogenesis). He identifies disequilibrium situations as the driving force behind knowledge acquisition, which can stem from internal (personal) or external disturbances. Therefore, the accumulation of knowledge is a constant and active process of readapting disequilibrium to equilibrium: “Knowledge … is a system of transformations that become progressively adequate” (Piaget, 1970, p. 15).

The book Creativity and Development (2003) constructs a powerful theoretical foundation on the connection between developmental psychology and the creative process, arguing the importance of implementing developmental methodologies for a more rigorous study of creativity. In addition, it suggests that the traditional application of creative practices may be used to support yet unanswered problematics of cognitive development.

Implications in Education and Creativity Training

With regards to the adaptation and application of Piaget’s developmental theory in creative problem-solving, Creativity and Development (2003) opens with a quote from the pioneering creative psychologist Howard E. Gruber:

Piaget, working with children, found that the growth of their ideas is a process spread over years. Now that we are learning about adult creative work in this new way, we can compare two radically different development processes that have some important points in common. Each will illuminate the other.

Piaget’s developmental theories have been widely applied in preschool and primary school methodologies. More recently, studies such as Gelbach’s (1991) research suggest that designing lesson plans and playground activities based on the cognitive development of children can have a powerful impact on the future creative capacity of the adult individual.

Growth Mindset in relation to Creative Processes and Education

The fixed mentality is a method of thinking that originates from the assumption that our traits are a product that does not change. A growth mindset is a way of thinking that is founded on the concept that we can change our basic traits by employing desire and effort.

When people enter a thought pattern, they are essentially entering new worlds: the world of fixed characteristics, where success is determined by our ability to prove that we are smart, talented, or creative and receive validation of who we are, or the world of changing qualities, where success is determined by our ability to broaden our horizons in order to learn something new and develop (Dweck, 2017).

Thought patterns are powerful beliefs, but they are a part of our minds that can be altered. Knowing these patterns allows us to start thinking about and responding to requests in new ways. Each pattern produces a world, and the essential thing to remember is that individuals have the ability to select whatever world they want to live in (Dweck, 2017).

People with a development mentality are willing to take chances, overcome obstacles, and persevere. They have no problem absorbing truthful facts about their talents since they feel they can grow. The concept that talent can be developed helps people to attain their full potential (Dweck, 2017).

The degree to which students perceive their intellect or creativity to be malleable affects their ideas, behaviors, and, ultimately, their academic achievement. Understanding student mentality development is thus of significant importance to educational scholars interested in establishing methods for student achievement.

Understanding that our talents are malleable and that we may support a habit of thinking that fosters their development has far-reaching consequences for education. Even the tasks that instructors set to their pupils function as a means for teachers to communicate with their students. In mathematics, for example, if students are given short-answer (yes/no) questions and make mistakes in their answers, it will be difficult for them to believe that they can only succeed if they put in time and effort, but when the demands are more open, creative, and present opportunities for learning, students can see that it is possible to make progress and be more successful (Boaler, 2013).

Teacher intervention strategies have a significant impact in establishing effective teaching practices, quality relationships with students, and a positive classroom and school climate. It is essential that teachers discuss and examine the mood of effective students who are engaged and motivated to determine how to improve mood in the classroom. The focus on social-emotional development and student well-being is not an additional curriculum that takes time away from academic study of skills and content, it overlaps the curriculum with practices that promote motivation and stimulate creativity (Brooks et al., 2012).

Students who acquire a growth mindset believe that intelligence and creativity are adaptable and expanding. Students that exhibit this pattern have a desire to accept difficulties, like problem-solving, and are resilient in the face of failure. Those with a “fixed mindset,” on the other hand, feel that talents are permanent attributes. When youngsters with this perspective fail or make errors, they assume they are not smart or creative enough, lose confidence, and give up. These pupils forgo regular difficulties in favor of easy, routine work in which they are confident of success (Boaler, 2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the intertwining studies of developmental psychology and creativity research, though contemporaneous, suffer from a lack of integration as social modeling tools, hindering a cohesive affiliation. This observation prompts a dual call to action: firstly, to scrutinize societal and cultural expectations and the pressures imposed on individuals to foster creativity, thereby influencing the perceived value of creativity itself. Secondly, it urges a reconsideration of implementing a more robust educational foundation, inspired by developmental methodology, for the effective application of creativity training. The pivotal role of mindset is underscored, impacting various noncognitive factors such as students’ goals, attributions of successes and failures, and their coping mechanisms. As ongoing research delves into the intricate development and evolution of student mindsets, its potential benefits in adapting educational methods and fostering heightened creativity continue to be a focal point for future exploration and improvement in educational practices.

References

Anderson, P. W. (1972). More is different: Broken symmetry and the nature of the hierarchical structure of science. Science, 177(4047), 393–396.

Boaler, J. (2013). Ability and mathematics: The mindset revolution that is reshaping education. The Forum, 55, 143–152.

Brooks, R., Waters, J., & Wilson, H. P. (2012). International education and the employability of UK students. British Educational Research Journal, 38(2), 281–298. <https://doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2010.544710>

Bycroft, M. (2012). Psychology, psychologists, and the creativity movement: The lives of method inside and outside the cold war. In M. Solovey & H. Cravens (Eds.), Cold War Social Science (pp. 197–214). Palgrave Macmillan.

Cohen-Cole, J. (2014). The creative American. In The open mind: Cold war politics and the sciences of human nature (pp. 35–62). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. <https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226092331>

Dweck, C. S. (2017). Mindset. O nouă psihologie a succesului [Mindset: A new psychology of success]. București: Curtea Veche Publishing

Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Psychology Press.

Dweck, C. S. (2017). Mindset. O nouă psihologie a succesului [Mindset: A new psychology of success]. București: Curtea Veche Publishing.