Fostering Creativity in Classroom

Triarchic Teaching

Abstract

This paper deals with the design of the teaching environment with regard to the development of students’ creative abilities in the context of teaching for creativity. Modeling of creativity by the teacher and fostering students’ self-efficacy beliefs as prerequisites for the development of students’ creativity are discussed. Among basic techniques for developing student creativity questioning existing assumptions, defining and redefining problems, encouraging idea generation, and promoting an interdisciplinary approach to ideas are outlined. To avoid barriers to creativity, it is important to encourage sensible risk-taking, tolerate ambiguity, and allow for learning mistakes. Complex techniques for fostering student creativity aim to develop self-responsibility and self-regulation in creative work, as well as to teach the value of persistent effort and delaying gratification in creative work. Creative work requires a balance of the three thinking abilities that make up successful intelligence: analytical, creative, and practical. Teaching according to the principles of successful intelligence is called Triarchic Instruction and Assessment (TIA) and is based on fostering analytical, creative, and practical thinking. This means that the teacher should find the material that is best suited for the development of specific abilities (analytical, creative, and practical) and help students compensate for or correct their weaknesses while capitalizing their strengths thus increasing the students’ motivation to learn. Finally, examples of implementation of triarchic instruction in Croatian language classes of 5th and 6th grade are given through the steps of Triarchic Instruction and Assessment planning.