How can university learning environment contribute to students’ creativity? Lithuanian students’ perspective
Abstract
Students’ creativity has been increasingly researched in higher education. Until recently, however, empirical studies investigating students’ views of how universities can contribute to the development of their creativity have been rare. The present study aims to investigate how university learning environment can contribute to undergraduate philology students’ creativity as seen by the students themselves. The data were collected through questionnaires and analysed using qualitative research method of content analysis.
The general conclusion of this study is that the study participants consider that universities can foster their students’ creativity in some ways. Firstly, they think that university curriculum should contain assignments aimed at developing student creativity. Prominent among the findings was the students’ belief that their university teachers are important contributors to this process. Besides, the students considered that their creativity can be developed by introducing a special study subject, by enhancing their transferable skills, and that more collaborative learning and special university events could make an impact on their creativity. On the other hand, the results of the present study have also revealed some challenges that call for further research.
Article in English.
Kaip universiteto studijų aplinka gali ugdyti studentų kūrybiškumą? Lietuvos studentų požiūriai
Santrauka
Studentų kūrybiškumo ugdymo aukštajame moksle tematika jau sulaukė didelio užsienio tyrėjų dėmesio, tačiau Lietuvoje dar pasigendama empirinių tyrimų, analizuojančių studentų požiūrius, kaip universiteto studijų aplinka gali prisidėti prie jų kūrybiškumo ugdymo. Šiuo tyrimu siekiama nustatyti filologijos bakalauro studijų studentų požiūrius, kaip universiteto studijų aplinka gali plėtoti jų kūrybiškumą. Tyrimo duomenys buvo gauti anketinės apklausos būdu ir išanalizuoti taikant kokybinio tyrimo turinio analizės metodą.
Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad, studentų požiūriu, jų universitetai yra ta mokymosi aplinka, kuri yra palanki studentų kūrybiškumui plėtoti. Svarbu tai, kad tyrimo dalyviai aiškiai įvardijo būdus, kaip tai gali būti įgyvendinta. Pirma, studentai nurodė, kad didesnio skaičiaus kūrybiškumą skatinančių užduočių įtraukimas į universitetų studijų programas turėtų teigiamą poveikį jų asmeniniam kūrybiškumui. Svarbus šio tyrimo rezultatas – dalies studentų išreikštas požiūris į universiteto dėstytojų vaidmenį šiame procese, t. y. dalis studentų nurodė, kad dėstytojai, būdami integralia universiteto studijų aplinkos dalimi, gali reikšmingai prisidėti prie jų kūrybiškumo ugdymo. Be to, tyrimo metu nustatyti ir kiti būdai, kurie, studentų nuomone, turėtų teigiamą įtaką studentų kūrybiškumo plėtotei, t. y. specialiai tam skirtas universiteto studijų dalykas, studentų keliamųjų gebėjimų ugdymas, mokymosi bendradarbiaujant skatinimas ir specialūs universitete organizuojami renginiai. Kita vertus, šio tyrimo rezultatai taip pat atskleidė studentų kūrybiškumui ugdyti kylančius iššūkius.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: mokymasis bendradarbiaujant, kūrybinės užduotys, kūrybiškumas, kūrybiškumui skirtas studijų dalykas, aukštasis mokslas, studentų požiūriai, dėstytojų parama, keliamieji gebėjimai, universitetų indėlis plėtojant kūrybiškumą.
Keyword : collaborative learning, creative assignments, creativity, creativity-aimed study subject, higher education, students’ views, teachers’ support, transferable skills, university contribution to creativity development
How to Cite
Burkšaitienė, N. (2018). How can university learning environment contribute to students’ creativity? Lithuanian students’ perspective. Creativity Studies, 11(1), 162-171. https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2018.271
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Grakauskaitė-Karkockienė, D. (2006). Pedagoginio profilio studentų kūrybiškumo pokyčiai. Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia, 17, 66-77. https://doi.org/10.15388/ActPaed.2006.17.9686
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Mansoor, A. (2010). Teaching creative writing to university level second language learners in Pakistan. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, 7(3), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2010.514052
Nettle, D. (2009). The evolution of creative writing. In S. B. Kaufman & J. C. Kaufman (Eds.), The psychology of creative writing (pp. 101-116). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rein, J. M. (2011). Write what you don’t know: teaching creative research. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, 8(2), 96-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2010.542247
Sarrimo, C. (2010). Creative writing as a communicative act – an artistic method. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, 7(3), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2010.509509
Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The nature of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), 87-98. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1801_10
Yeh, Y., Yeh, Y., & Chen, Y.-H. (2012). From knowledge sharing to knowledge creation: a blended knowledge-management model for improving university students’ creativity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 7(3), 245-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2012.05.004
Šliogerienė, J. (2013). Fostering creativity through self-reflection. In R. Bebre (Ed.), Creative personality, Vol. 11 (pp. 37-43). Riga: Riga Teacher Training and Education Management Academy.
Zacher, H., & Johnson, E. (2015). Leadership and creativity in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 40(7), 1210-1225. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.881340
Zenasni, F., & Lubart, T. (2011). Pleasantness of creative tasks and creative performance. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6(1), 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2010.10.005
Burkšaitienė, N. (2014). Creative writing at the university: students’ perceptions and expectations. Societal Studies, 6(3), 661-671. https://doi.org/10.13165/SMS-14-6-3-13
Burkšaitienė, N. (2013). Project-based learning for the enhancement of self-regulated learning and creativity in a course of ESP. In R. Bebre (Ed.), Creative personality, Vol. 11 (pp. 164-172). Riga: Riga Teacher Training and Education Management Academy.
Davis, S. N., Keegan, R. T., & Gruber, H. (2012). The evolving systems approach. In M. A. Runco (Ed.), The creativity research handbook. Vol. 2 (pp. 199-231). New York, N.Y: Hampton Press.
Grakauskaitė-Karkockienė, D. (2006). Pedagoginio profilio studentų kūrybiškumo pokyčiai. Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia, 17, 66-77. https://doi.org/10.15388/ActPaed.2006.17.9686
Kozbelt, A., Beghetto, R. A., & Runco, M. A. (2010). Theories of creativity. In J. C. Kaufman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of creativity (pp. 20-47). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511763205.004
Mansoor, A. (2010). Teaching creative writing to university level second language learners in Pakistan. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, 7(3), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2010.514052
Nettle, D. (2009). The evolution of creative writing. In S. B. Kaufman & J. C. Kaufman (Eds.), The psychology of creative writing (pp. 101-116). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rein, J. M. (2011). Write what you don’t know: teaching creative research. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, 8(2), 96-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2010.542247
Sarrimo, C. (2010). Creative writing as a communicative act – an artistic method. New Writing: The International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing, 7(3), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2010.509509
Sternberg, R. J. (2006). The nature of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), 87-98. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1801_10
Yeh, Y., Yeh, Y., & Chen, Y.-H. (2012). From knowledge sharing to knowledge creation: a blended knowledge-management model for improving university students’ creativity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 7(3), 245-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2012.05.004
Šliogerienė, J. (2013). Fostering creativity through self-reflection. In R. Bebre (Ed.), Creative personality, Vol. 11 (pp. 37-43). Riga: Riga Teacher Training and Education Management Academy.
Zacher, H., & Johnson, E. (2015). Leadership and creativity in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 40(7), 1210-1225. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.881340
Zenasni, F., & Lubart, T. (2011). Pleasantness of creative tasks and creative performance. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6(1), 49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2010.10.005