Identity and creativity: educating teachers for postmodernism?

Abstract

This article describes a research project carried out with 18 self-selected ‘creative educators’ teaching in a variety of contexts. All are supporting children and young people in an increasingly chaotic and fragmented postmodern world requiring increasing personal flexibility and creativity. The paper explores the educators' conceptions of and approaches to creativity in relation to their personal identity. It sets the discussion in the context of ‘multiple selves’ and the literature on creativity in general and teacher creativity in particular. Drawing out a number of key themes arising from the study, I compare and contrast these with the existing literature. Finally I examine some practical implications of this study for teacher development, and ways in which we support teachers in fostering creativity at the end of the twentieth century.