Stories about creative teaching and productive learning

Abstract

The article is based on an empirical, interview‐based research project investigating resources and barriers to creative teaching within three Danish primary and secondary schools. The analysis shows how project‐oriented teaching does seem to represent a creativity oasis for both teachers and pupils. Furthermore, the work identifies a distinction between an art‐based and a problem‐solving approach to creativity, and it is suggested that teachers help pupils to work with the various different opportunities for creative learning represented by different subjects in school. Furthermore, a dilemma is pinpointed between the demand that teachers conform to centrally defined test systems, and the challenges facing our societies in relation to bringing up pupils and students who dare to take risks, challenge the existing order and create something new.

Keywords:

• teaching creatively
• creative learning
• art based and problem solving approaches to creativity

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on an earlier version of the article.