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Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-joa-10.1177_1932202X20978356 for What Is Creativity in Education? A Qualitative Study of International Curricula by Timothy J. Patston, James C. Kaufman, Arthur J. Cropley and Rebecca Marrone in Journal of Advanced Academics

The concept of “creativity” as a desirable attribute within education is long-standing. The fields of education and creativity have developed, and periodically intersected with, government reports, policies, commentaries, and advice. Recently, an increasing number of countries have emphasized creativity in their official curricula. However, the journey from openly acknowledging the importance of creativity to systematically and purposefully supporting its promotion in the classroom is a long one. The research reported in this article focuses on what might be regarded as the first step in this journey: school curriculum. This article analyzes curricula in 12 countries and asks three key questions: if and how creativity is defined, where is it placed in the curriculum, and what concrete advice is provided for teachers? Despite widespread interest and a productive field of research in creativity, our examination reveals little support for teachers to turn policy into practice. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Secondary education around the world has been significantly disrupted by covid-19. Students have been forced into new ways of independent learning, often using remote technologies, but without the social nuances and direct teacher interactions of a normal classroom environment. Using data from the School Attitudes Survey—which surveys students regarding the perceived level of difficulty, anxiety level, self-efficacy, enjoyability, subject relevance, and opportunities for creativity with regards to each of their school subjects—this study examines students' responses to this disruption from two very different schools with two very different experiences of the pandemic. This paper reports on the composite attitudinal profiles of students in the senior secondary levels at each school (Years 10–12, n = 834). The findings challenged our expectation that the increased difficulty and anxiety caused by the disruption would reduce perceived opportunities for creativity. Indeed, our analyses showed that the students at both schools demonstrated generally positive attitudes toward their learning and strongly associated opportunities for creativity with other attitudinal constructs including enjoyability, subject relevance, and self-efficacy. These complex associations made by the students appear to have buffered the impacts of the disruption, and they may even have supported creative resilience.

The field of creativity remains misunderstood by the general public and implicit beliefs, in particular an Arts Bias, continue to permeate popular culture. This has the potential to derail efforts to embed creativity in the 21st century classroom, at a time when it is most needed. We therefore ask if teachers endorse such an Arts Bias in creativity. The present study found a lower than expected tendency towards an Arts Bias among teachers from more than seven countries. However, differences by discipline and level of self-rated creativity suggest specific pathways for enhancing efforts to embed creativity in the classroom. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Creativity is enjoying a resurgence of interest in the education systems of many developed countries. The core of this is the recognition that creativity, in its broadest sense that encompasses divergent thinking, problem-solving, and related abilities is a core skill in the twenty-first century. While there is a great deal of rigorous, empirical research that underpins creative teaching and learning, there remains much rhetoric, myth, and misconception that militates against efforts to embed creativity in the modern classroom. In this chapter, we first explore some of the general beliefs that frequently interfere with efforts to broaden and systematise the understanding of creativity. We also examine specific evidence from teachers, suggesting that this practitioner cohort is favourably primed and disposed to teach both for and with creativity. In the literature of creative education, we identify and address a significant gap relating to developmental models of creativity. Finally, we discuss some of the nuances of creativity in school settings, offering specific advice for school teachers who are at the coal-face of creative education.