The perceptions of creativity and creative potentials of future kindergarten and class teachers

Abstract

Research studies on teaching practice have shown that not enough attention is paid to the problem of children?s creativity development in our schools in spite of the fact that the development of creative potentials in preschool institutions and school figures as one of the priority educational tasks. The perceptions of creativity and creative potentials of future kindergarten and class teachers can serve as an important basis for encouraging the development of their professional competences. This research was aimed at examining students? knowledge and beliefs on creativity, obtaining self-assessment of their own creative potentials and determining the level of expression of students? creativity based on their abilities of creative problem-solving. The sample included the students of the Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences in Jagodina and Teacher Training College in Vranje (N=300). For examining students? creative potentials we used the Epstein Creativity Competences Inventory and a version of the Saugstad & Rahaim Problem Solving Tests. Research results have confirmed that students possess the knowledge and the beliefs compatible with the modern scientific beliefs on creativity. They assess their own creative potentials as very high and they do possess them. The obtained results can serve as a better foundation for working with students towards fostering the development of their creative potentials and professional competences. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179034: Od podsticanja inicijative, saradnje, stvaralastva u obrazovanju do novih uloga i identiteta u drustvu i br. 47008: Unapredjivanje kvaliteta i dostupnosti obrazovanja u procesima modernizacije Srbije]

Attitudes of Students from the Faculty of Education on the Potentially Gifted Preschool Children

“…Studies confirm that students recognize their own expression of creativity, score high marks and see themselves in high percentage as creative. At the same time, they indicate that they do not have enough experience in creativity education [9]. When analyzing the level of professional competence in areas of pre-school (potential) giftedness [10], the results of the research point out to the problem of competence or even lack of ability of educators in the field of detection [11], recognition and identification of gifted children [12].…”