Creative climate as a means to promote creativity in the classroom

Abstract

The concept of creativity has been the subject of much research since the 1950s. These theories mainly focus on the individual, personal characteristics of creativity. However, in the past few decades this person-centered spectrum of creativity has been broadened, and today we encounter several theories that emphasize the importance of environmental factors. These research results underline the fact that individual qualities cannot evolve without a supportive environment, and environmental factors may mobilize and even develop personal creative skills. This paper provides a survey of the international professional literature of the new, environmental approach to enhancing creativity, with a special emphasis on previous organizational psychological findings and their adaptability in a school context. The concept of ‘creative climate’ is also introduced: its theoretical background, an overview of measurement techniques and its relationship with classroom motivation is presented. Finally some future research questions and educational practical issues are addressed.