Boredom as a Basis for Fostering Creativity in Higher Education: A Call for Pedagogical Bravery

Boredom has a bad reputation in higher education, as many negative outcomes are associated with this experience. But should boredom be avoided at all costs? Could boredom be guided towards more appropriate, even desirable outcomes -- such as creativity? Through making use of concept analyses to investigate current conceptualisations of boredom and creativity, this study investigated whether boredom and creativity may be linked conceptually. Conceptual overlaps were identified on a number of levels, and boredom's position in fostering creativity was situated. The findings herein suggest that investigating ways to develop boredom towards appropriate ends should receive greater attention in higher education research. Through a combination of individual attributes, an enabling educational environment and some pedagogical bravery in purposefully introducing boredom into the in-person classroom context, boredom may yet prove useful for fostering creativity within the higher education context.