Creative Learning: Paradox or Possibility in China's Restrictive Preservice Teacher Classrooms?

This case study focuses on creativity and collaboration in preparing Chinese preservice teachers. The research question was "Can aspiring Chinese teachers discover creativity where encouraged and under conducive conditions?" The purpose was to find out whether, with explicit instructions to be creative, candidates could demonstrate creativity alone and in groups. Within the low-income rural municipality, the 4-C creativity model from psychology informed four activities: personal experience of creativity essay (individual), 3D paper poster of the 4-C creativity model (group), postreflection report and presentation (group), and summative course assessment (individual). These data sources, once qualitatively analyzed, produced themes. Anonymously assessing their experience, the undergraduates all valued the model. They also strongly favored group over individual activities, anticipating transfer of select activities to their classrooms as teachers. Historical, cultural, political, and scholarly lenses are invoked for probing the rote-based learner stereotype attributed to Chinese students. Implications for creative learning environments end this discussion.