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Memorandum submitted by Mr Jonathan Barnes and Dr Stephen Scoffham, Faculty of Education, Canterbury Christ Church University
1 This submission has been written by Jonathan Barnes and Stephen Scoffham of the Faculty of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. Both authors have an established reputation for their work on creativity and education, particularly with respect to teacher education. They have conducted research into creative teaching on behalf of Creative Partnerships and disseminated their thinking and research on creativity in books and academic journals. They are founding members of the British Educational Research Association's special interest group on Creativity in Education.
Background and introduction
2 Creativity is present in all areas of human life and is a fundamental characteristic of human thought. In the past, creativity was associated only with the expressive arts. It was regarded as a talent which was inherited at birth. In recent years the notion of creativity has been re-interpreted. Rather than being restricted to a few gifted individuals, it is now seen as a dimension of thinking and learning across the curriculum. On a humble level, we are all creative in our daily lives. We can be creative individually or in collaboration with others. Furthermore, our creativity is not fixed. It can be enhanced and developed through teaching.
3 One of the most widely-used definitions of creativity appears in All Our Futures, a seminal report produced for the government by the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE 1999). Here creativity is defined as, 'imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value'. This definition stresses outcomes rather than processes. Curiosity and play might also be argued as containing significant elements of creativity. As psychologists have pointed out, there is also a strong link between creativity and our sense of well-being and self esteem.
4 In this submission we argue that a forward-looking and dynamic school curriculum needs to incorporate wide opportunities for creativity at a fundamental level. The foundations are already in place. The National Curriculum has a short statement on creative thinking (p22) and subsequent guidance from OFSTED (2002), HM Government, (2004) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA, 2002, 2005) have strengthened this line of thinking. The activities pioneered by Creative Partnerships have been particularly significant in illustrating how creativity can be developed in practice in school and community settings (OFSTED 2006)
5 In our view creativity is an essential feature in the following three areas of strategic planning:
· The personal well-being of the nation's young people · The vibrant development of the subject disciplines · The future economic security of our nation
Creativity can of course be put to any number of uses and it is therefore essential it is developed in a context of established and shared values.
Factual Information
6 We have pioneered an innovative approach to Primary ITE as part of a national Higher Education Arts and Schools project (the HEARTS project). This was funded by Esmee Fairbairn and Gulbenkian foundations and evaluated by NFER. The project demonstrated how student teachers could work alongside pupils as co-learners. Shared creative activity changed the nature of their relationships with children. In their evaluations student teachers reported significant growth in their own understanding of creativity and their ability to deliver the curriculum in imaginative and child-centred ways. The project also highlighted the ways in which cross curricular working promoted creative thinking in both student teachers and pupils (Barnes and Shirley, 2005, 2007).
7 Between 2004 and 2006 we conducted research into the features of creative teaching for Creative Partnerships Kent (Grainger, Barnes and Scoffham, 2006, Barnes, Hope and Scoffham, 2007 in press). One conclusion of this small scale, in-depth study was that when teachers were helped to recognise the creativity already existent within their practice, they responded by promoting more creativity in their pupils. In addition they reported increased job satisfaction and demonstrated enhanced professional expertise. It is argued that this model used in this research provides a valid structure which could be used to frame future research investigations in this area.
8 In what we have written for an academic audience, we have argued that in a modern and fast changing world where the total information available to us doubles every two years, we can no longer teach rigid bodies of knowledge. We must combine subject discipline with imaginative process in order to generate new and sustainable understandings (Barnes, in Scoffham 2004 p33). Creative approaches can provide children with opportunities to express their feelings about self and environment. Pupils who live fulfilling and balanced lived tend to be more sensitive to the needs of others and more likely to contribute positively to the world in which they live both locally and globally.
9 In submitting our report to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Scientific research in Learning and Education (February 26th 2007) we argued that one of the challenges for ITE today, is to apply neuro-scientific research to educational settings. Specifically we suggest that educators need to:
(a) support children in developing high degrees of emotional intelligence, resilience, flexibility and creativity to face any possible future. (b) recognise the physiological, health and social benefits of creative activity (c) investigate the relationship between creative activities and the development of higher self esteem and improved resilience
10 Our work draws upon recognized theoretical perspectives.
· The economic justification for creative education is put forward by David Lammy and Andrew Adonis in the Government's Response to Paul Robert's Report (2006). They extend arguments put forward by Richard Layard, (2005 and 2006) and Professor Ken Robinson (2001) subsequent to the NACCCE Report. · The personal and social perspectives stem from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, (1997, 2002) whose research into happiness with over 100,000 respondents establishes clear links between creativity, meaning and personal happiness. The theory of 'flow' which he has developed describes the sense of timelessness, deep engagement and positive physiological responses commonly reported during creative activities. Links between creative activity and wider definitions of good health have been developed by the Department of Health (DHSS, 2004). Others, such as David Hicks (2006), argue for the importance of helping children develop hope for the future by using creative envisioning processes. · From a neuro-scientific perspective, Antonio Damasio (1994, 1999, 2003), Joseph LeDoux (2002), Susan Greenfield (2003) amongst others have begun to establish the scientific basis of emotions. They argue that the condition we describe as joy represents the optimal physical and mental condition of the human mind and body. They see creativity as a powerful provider of such feelings. · In the UK, the work of Professors Anna Craft (2000, 2005), Teresa Cremin (2007) and Guy Claxton (1998, 2003, 2004) together with Peter Woods and Bob Jeffrey (2003) have explored ways of developing creativity in the classroom context. Their work on promoting 'possibility thinking' and slow modes of accessing deeper thinking have begun to change teachers' thinking and practice. · Howard Gardner well known for his pioneering work on intelligence and the creative mind, speculates on the future and places the Creative Mind as one of five mental dispositions essential for future survival (2006)
Recommendations
1. Review and reformulate the definition of creativity in government advice and legislation to incorporate, curiosity, play and well-being more explicitly.
2. Recognise more fully that creativity is a major aspect of learning in all subject areas and that a healthy discipline is one which is constantly being reshaped in the light of changing circumstances.
3. Enable Initial Teacher Education institutions to work more closely with Creative Partnerships and other creative and cultural organisations in the preparation and support of teachers
4. Support moves towards adopting more flexible and formative means of assessment and accountability in education
5. Use creative approaches to teaching and learning to help address the lack of well-being in the lives of significant numbers of British children reported in the recent UNICEF (2007) and WHO (2004) reports
6. Fund further research into creative teaching and its impact on happiness and well-being.
References
Barnes, J. and Shirley, I (2005) 'Strangely familiar; Promoting Creativity in Initial Teacher Education'. Paper presented at British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference, 16th September, 2005. Barnes, J. and Shirley, I. (2007) 'Strangely Familiar: Cross Curricular and Creative teaching in Initial Teacher Education' in Improving Schools, Vol. 10. No.2. pp160 - 179 Barnes, J. Hope, G. and Scoffham, S. (2007 forthcoming) A Conversation about Creative Teaching and Learning, in Craft, A. Cremin, T.and Burnard, P. (Eds.) Documenting Creative Learning, London, Routledge. Barnes, J, and Scoffham, S. (2007) the Role of Teacher Education in promoting Scientific Research in Learning and Education, report for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Scientific Research in Learning and Education, 26th February, 2007 Claxton, G. (1998) Hare Brain Tortoise Mind, London: Fourth Estate Claxton, G. (2003) Building Learning Power, London: TLO Claxton, G and Lucas B. (2004) Be Creative , London: BBC. Craft, A. (2000) Creativity across the Primary Curriculum. London: Routledge. Craft, A. (2005) Creativity in Schools: Tensions and Dilemmas. London: Routledge. Csikszentmihalyi, M (1997) Creativity; Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. New York, Harper-Collins Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002) Flow; the classic work on how to achieve happiness, New York: Ebury Press. Damasio, A, (2000) The Feeling of What happens; body, emotion and the making of consciousness, London: Heinemann Damasio, A, (2003) Looking for Spinoza; Joy Sorrow and the Feeling Brain, Orlando: Harcourt. Damasio, A. (1994) Descartes' Error. London: Harper Collins. DfES/QCA (1999) Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, London, DfES,. DfES/QCA, (1999) The National Curriculum Handbook for Primary Teachers in England. London, HMSO. DHSS (2004) Promoting Emotional Health and Well being, Through the National Healthy Schools Standard. London: DHSS. Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston, Harvard Business School Press Grainger, T, Barnes, J. and Scoffham, S. (2006) Creativity for Tomorrow. Margate: Creative Partnerships. Grainger, T., Barnes, J. and Scoffham, Dr S. (2004) 'A creative Cocktail; Creative teaching in ITE'. Journal of Education in Teaching (JET). Vol .30 No. 3. pp.243 - 253. Greenfield, S. (2003) Tomorrow's People, London: Penguin Hicks, D. (2001) Citizenship for the Future: A practical classroom guide. Godalming: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Hicks. D (2006) Lessons for the Future, London, Trafford HM Government, (2004) Every Child Matters, London. Jeffrey, B. and Woods, P. (2003) The Creative School, London: Routledge Layard, R. (2005) Happiness, London, Penguin. Layard, R. (Chair) (2006) The Depression Report; A New Deal for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, London: Centre for Economic Performance.
LeDoux, J. (1999) The Emotional Brain, London; Phoenix LeDoux, J. (2002) The Synaptic Self, New York: Viking NACCCE (1999) All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education, London : DfEE OFSTED(2002) The Curriculum in Successful Primary Schools, also available at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.displayfile&id=303&type=pdf (accessed 08/06/06) OFSTED (2003) Expecting the Unexpected, http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/docs/3377.DOC, (Accessed 08/06/06) OFSTED (2004) A New Relationship with Schools: Improving Performance through School Self-Evaluation. Nottingham: DfES Publications OFSTED (2006) Creative Partnerships: Initiative and Impact, London, Crown QCA (2002) Designing and timetabling the primary curriculum, London, QCA QCA (2005) Creativity: Find it Promote it (Video May 2005) and website, http://www.ncaction.org.uk/creativity/index.htm (accessed 23/03/06) Roberts, P. (2006) Nurturing Creativity in Young people; A Report to Government to Inform Future Policy, London, DCMS/DfES. Robinson, K. (2001) Out of Our Minds. London, Capstone. Scoffham, S. (2003) 'Thinking Creatively', in Primary Geographer, No 50, pp. 4 -6 Scoffham, S (Ed) (2004) Primary Geography Handbook, Sheffield, Geographical Association. UNICEF (2005) Children living in Poverty: a review of child poverty definitions, measurements and policies http://www.unicef.org/policyanalysis/files/child_poverty_final_draft_4_05.pdf, (accessed 29/08/06). UNICEF (2007) Child Poverty in Perspectives; an Overview of child Well-Being in Rich Countries. Florence, Innocenti WHO (2004) Health behaviour in school aged children study. International report 2001/2002, http://www.euro.who.int/Document/e82923.pdf (accessed 30th March 2006)
July 2007
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