Teacher Self-concepts of Creativity: Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century Classroom

Abstract

School systems around the world are, for a variety of reasons, moving towards a greater emphasis on creativity in the classroom. This paradigm shift raises important questions for teachers. Do teachers need to be creative themselves in order to develop creativity in their students? Is teaching a creative profession? Regardless of the importance and interplay between teaching creatively, and teaching for creativity, what role does teachers’ belief in their own creativity play in this move to a more creative classroom? In this paper, we examine the creative self concept of teachers across a range of countries, disciplines, and other variables, asking which groups of teachers, if any, may be be..