Exploring the perceptions of student teachers about ‘creative school’ in early childhood education

ABSTRACT

Creative school environments use creative approaches in their curriculum, content, and teaching and learning. Considering that creativity is fostered by all elements of educational processes such as teachers, classrooms, and school environments, the purpose of the current study was to explore perceptions of Turkish student teachers in an early childhood education program about the concept of 'creative school' as a holistic system of creativity in early childhood. A case study design was used in the current study. Findings indicated that the student teachers described the 'creative school' as a space for active engagement, supporting inquiries of children through play-based activities, design of nature- and community-based schools, child participation and freedom of speech, and open-ended experiences. Moreover, descriptive analyses of drawings reflected the same or similar perceptions. Themes that emerged in the current study reflected the philosophy, curriculum, teachers, or children within a 'creative school'. Further, the importance of a creative school in early childhood education is discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Creativity
• creative school
• early childhood education
• case study
• Turkish student teachers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Sukran Ucus is the assistant professor in the Early Childhood Education Department at Ahi Evran University. Her research interests are creativity and creative thinking skills in education, parenting (parent–child relationships, parent involvement and parent–school partnerships), teacher development and social studies for young children.

Dr. Ibrahim H. Acar is a postdoctoral research associate in Child, Youth and Family Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Acar's research interests are protective factors (e.g. regulatory temperament, executive functioning) and risk factors (e.g., difficult temperament, poverty) for children's social and academic development. He also studies teacher development in early childhood. In addition, he has been doing research on children's access to nature and outdoor activities, and its contribution to their prosocial behavior and environmental moral development.

ORCID

Sukran Ucus http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7992-9802