MODULE TITLE: DISSERTATION

Fostering Creativity in Young Adolescents through the

Technical Subjects in Post-Primary Education.

G00359010

Submitted for the Award of

Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Education
(Design, Graphics and Construction)
to
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Letterfrack

Supervisor: Dr Susan Rogers.

Submission Date
22/04/2021

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Student Number: G00359010
Programme: BSc. (Hons) in Education (Design, Graphics and
Construction)
Year: 4
Module: Dissertation
Lecturer: Dr. Susan Rogers
Assignment Title: Dissertation
Due Date: 22nd of April 2021
Date Submitted: 22nd of April 2021

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 Fostering Creativity in Young Adolescents through the
Technical Subjects in Post-Primary Education.
Abstract.

This topic was chosen as a fourth year Dissertation because of the need for Fostering

Creativity in the new Technological Junior Cycle subjects such as Wood Technology

(hereinafter referred to as WT) and Graphics (hereinafter referred to as G) which were

rolled out in 2018 in Post-Primary Schools across the country. The research undertaken

in this Dissertation develops a theoretical understanding on fostering creativity in

relation to technical subjects at Junior Cycle level. This study presents an overview of

what creativity is, common misconceptions, theoretical background, creativity as a key

skill in the Junior Cycle and Chief Examiner Reports to analyse best practice. Based on

the author’s application and experience a reflective discussion throughout captures a

link between theory with practice. This dissertation is aimed to highlight best practice in

teaching methodologies for teachers and find what factors influence creative work,

whilst understanding what characteristics and atmosphere make the students flourish

creatively in technical subjects. Overall, the study concluded that creativity can be

fostered in the technical classroom. Knowing what factors influence creative work,

whilst understanding what characteristics and atmosphere make the students flourish

creatively in technical subjects. Technical subjects contain activities which already

incorporate creative thinking skills meanwhile some students and teachers may be

unaware of. Authentic based learning

Keywords: Wood Technology (WT); Graphics (G); Creativity; Technical Subjects;

Fostering.
Introduction

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (2015, p.3) in Ireland has found
that the majority of students don’t believe that they are creative.

This opening statement depicts the reasoning behind my selection of the topic for this

dissertation on Fostering Creativity in Young Adolescents through the Technical

Subjects in Post-Primary Education. The objective for this dissertation is to gather

research which equips teachers to foster creativity in technical subjects therefore

encouraging creative capacity. In recent decades, teachers have been encouraged to

foster creativity and it has become one of the most sought-after skills by employers in

the 21st century (Ritter, Xiaojing, Crijns & Biekens, 2020, p. 1). Developing this skill

has become an integral part of every classroom in primary, post-primary and third-level

education. A wide range of studies have been conducted on the development of

creativity, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (hereinafter referred to

as NCCA) in Ireland (2015, p.3) has found that majority of students do not believe that

they are creative. One could argue that if students do not believe they are creative then

teachers need to place more emphasis on fostering creativity. This dissertation is

focused on fostering creativity at Junior Cycle through the technical subjects of Wood

Technology and Graphic. This topic is timely and relevant given the recently introduced

Junior Cert reform. In 2018, technical subjects saw a change as Materials Technology

Wood changed to WT and Technical Graphic changed to G, these new reformed

subjects gave more status to creative thinking and the creative process. Due to the lack

of pedagogical content on creativity and limited emphasis on this construct in recent

Irish curricula, many teachers may struggle with fostering creativity in the classroom.

This dissertation aims to investigate how to foster creativity in relation to the technical

subjects. The key objectives of this dissertation are:

 1. To define creativity and highlight some common misconceptions about the

term.

2. To explore theories on creativity by examining the work of:

 Lev Vygotsky

 Abraham Maslow

 Teresa Amabile

3. To examine Irish documents such as Being Creative a key skill for Junior Cycle

created by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and Chief

Examiner Reports in relation to creativity.

4. To construct knowledge on how to foster creativity in technical subjects.

Defining Creativity

People have attempted to define creativity for thousands of years. According to

Howkins (2010, p.13) its definition is impossible to explain, though an explanation is

feasible. Therefore, this dissertation studies several viewpoints to unravel ‘creativity’ as

a term. The National Advisory Committee (hereinafter referred to as NAC) was set up

in 2004 to provide independent advice about interests and opinions of the lives of

people in the United Kingdom. They took particular interest in developing creativity in

their education system. NAC (1999, p.30) define “creativity as an imaginative activity

fashioned to produce outcomes that are both original and of value”. Projects with

originality and values underpin key aspects of the design process students take part in

the Junior Cycle WT and G subjects. Constrastingly, Albert and Runco (2010, p.15)

suggest when describing creativity that in the times of the early Greeks that Aristotle

characterised it as a phenomenon associated with mystical powers (“genius”).

Aristotle’s view became uncovered around 300 BC and still to this day there are many
misconceptions like Aristotle’s out there. Recent studies say different, schools across

the world are now developing creativity skills in the next generation, the new Junior

Cycle is the Irish response of developing creativity which will be discussed later in this

study.

Diversely, Robert Franken (1994, p.396) defines creativity as the tendency to

generate or recognise ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving

problems, communicating with others, entertaining ourselves and those around us.

Franken mentions communicating with others a facet of creativity. Communicating

ideas and thoughts through an assignment or project plays a big part in WT and G. This

type of communication is vital for progression of the development of creativity. It is

important students speak in a language which enhances creative potential rather than

hindering it. In a different manner, Kaufman and Baer (2012, p.29) state that creativity

is commonly defined through a collection of criteria that tend to consist of producing

something novel, which has value, is adaptive, is relevant to a problem and is

recognised. Every year the WT project brief is related to a real-world problem, therefore

this ties in with Kaufman and Baer’s definition above showing a link between creativity

and the WT subject. When students leave school, they will be faced with real-world

problems, by incorporating creative activities with real-world problems equips students

on the application of their knowledge in a real-life situation. Therefore, this gives

purpose to this study of fostering creativity as it helps students to deal with problems

outside the confinements of the classroom. Yet Sternberg, (2012, p. 3) says that

creativity is a habit, a way of life that can become so ingrained that one is hardly aware

one is engaging in it. In agreement with this statement the author of this study believes

that sometimes we are creative without even knowing such is the case when solving day

to day problems. It is important for our students to know when they can be creative and
apply those skills rather than being unaware of the potential within them. However, if

teachers know how to foster creativity correctly this can enrich more students to lead

creative and original lives. From the above section, there are so many opinions on the

definition of creativity. From the authors own viewpoint creativity simply put, is an

imaginative activity to produce something novel which changes or modifies something

original with purpose or value. This is the most up to date research carried out that is

available on creativity. Discussing common misconceptions will be the focus of this

next section deciphering between true and false information that circulates in the

educational world about creativity.

Common Misconceptions about Creativity

 This section highlights misconceptions about creativity with reference to

relevant research. Recent years have uncovered several misconceptions about creativity.

Craft (2005, p.5) states that “one such misconception being that creativity is an
Figure One
“innate” characteristic”. If creativity was an “innate” characteristic passed down

through genes it would mean that creativity would be near impossible to foster.

Likewise, Susan Weinschenk (2016, p.1) agrees that creativity is not a trait that some

people have, and others do not. Many people believe that creativity is a natural talent

which cannot be taught, whereas studies conducted by Ferrari, Cachia and Punie (2009,

p.19) have shown that learners can improve their creative thinking skills with the right

type of input. Once again, this gives the dissertation purpose. If teachers give students

the correct conditions and environment, fostering creativity in the technical subjects can

be achieved. Below is figure one which demonstrates true and false information about

creativity.
Figure 1

Figure one mentions that some people conflate creativity with the arts. However,

research has proven that creativity is not a synonym for the arts rather it can be applied

to every subject. Therefore, the NAC, NCCA and other organisations have reformed
existing systems to promote being creative to allow students to develop this skill across

a broad range of subjects. As mentioned by Ferrari, Cachia and Punie that there are

other notions that creativity is dependent on pure talent, adopting free play and

discovery, leading to fun, original, and breakthrough ideas (Ferrari et al., 2009, p.16).

Analysing this statement and from earlier research on defining creativity, it involves

originality and breakthrough ideas. The thought that creativity is down to pure talent is a

common myth interpreted by many people still to this day. Other incorrect ideology that

creativity is fun and there is no prior knowledge needed is incorrect. Being creative is

hard work and certain knowledge is needed to harness creative power.

The NAC (1999 p.10) states that a lot of people associate it with the arts only.

In the WT at Junior Cycle subject, students are given the opportunity to solve a brief

using creative skills. Therefore, this shows how creativity is not just limited to the arts.

Subjects such as WT and G offer an opportunity for students to be creative through

project making and design tasks. Creative thinking is a skill that can be taught and

learned, it is well established that an individual’s creativity can be improved through

instruction (Selbey, Shaw & Houtz, 2005 p.308). Improving creativity through

instruction may be a method this dissertation could look at in further detail. Exploring

how to teach this skill will enhance effects of this study. As mentioned by Sir Ken

Robinson (2011, p.2). creativity is a disciplined process that requires skill, knowledge,

and control it also requires imagination and inspiration. From the research above, clarity

was needed to highlight common misconceptions about creativity. To deepen

understanding of developing creativity an exploration of three theorists will be

conducted. Three educational theorists with different views from various time periods

will be investigated in the following section.

Educational Theory on Creativity

This section examines the theoretical perspectives of Lev Vygotsky, Abraham

Maslow and Teresa Amabile regarding creativity. This research touches on all three

theories and each of these will be examined in turn. Firstly, discussing why these three

theorists were selected is important. Lev Vygotsky and Abraham Maslow are both 20th

century philosophers, holding contrasting opinions on creativity which led to a

fascinating research study. Teresa Amabile has taken a 21st century style approach. She

not only holds views on creativity but has developed a theory which could aid fostering

creativity in technical subjects. An examination of each theory is an important bedrock

and foundation for this dissertation, as it can build conceptions that are not only theory

based, but also draw on the researcher’s practical experience with such theory to date.

Lev Vygotsky on creativity

Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist born in 1896. He commented on a

range of educational subjects including creative activity. Vygotsky (1992, p. 54)

provided an interesting analogy on creativity as outlined below:

“Electricity is not only present in a magnificent thunderstorm and dazzling

lightning, but also in a lamp; so also, creativity exists not only where it creates
great historical works, but also everywhere human imagination combines,
changes, and creates anything new”.

This analogy highlights creative power, that a person can create a worldwide

phenomenon or create something simple. Both WT and G students can learn a lot from

this analogy. Creative ideas do not always need to be a masterpiece, sometimes the

simplest ideas can be just as successful. Explaining this to students can give hope

allowing them to pursue some of the simplest ideas. It is important to raise awareness

that fostering creativity is possible in second level schools. Although the majority of

teachers are aware of the need to foster creativity, students may not be as aware of the
creative potential stored within them. Raising awareness is something we can all do to

help promote the development of creativity. Vygotsky (2004, p.88) states that one who

strives for the future, is enabled by creative imagination embodied in the present. He

clearly mentions imagination as a tool in creating the future, like the definition the NAC

mentioned earlier. Human imagination according to Vygotsky and other sources seems

to play a pivotal part in commencing of creative activity. According to Vygotsky,

(2004, p.81) the entire future of humanity will be attained through creative imagination.

This bold statement highlights how creative imagination plays an important role in our

futures and the importance of the development of this skill in students. The future may

depend on the new generation adapting a creativity approach to life. Vygotsky (1950,

p.13) believes in reproduction of the past and creativity to construct knowledge of the

future.

“If human activity would be limited to reproduce the past, man would be a
creature totally focused on the past, only capable of adjusting to the future if this
was a reproduction of the past. Creative activity is thus what makes man a
creature focused on the future, capable of shaping it and changing his current
situation”

Once again, Vygotsky mentions using creativity to help us shape the future and the

reproduction of knowledge. Currently, the majority of Ireland’s examinations focus on

what knowledge students can reproduce or remember. If we focus our students on the

development of creativity it can promote higher order thinking. Therefore, creating a

knowledgeable and adaptable individual when leaving school rather than someone who

can just regurgitate past material. From a societal point of view, this could only benefit

our civilisation to creative heights. Of course, knowledge reproduction is important. As

reported by Plucker, Beghetto and Dow (2004, p.15) creative thinking pushes students

into the unknown developing other skills to help them in life. Vygotsky’s vison that

creativity can help shape the future has relevance today. Educators are consistently
faced with change and diversity. Creative imagination allows us teachers to envision a

suitable learning environment for 21st century students. In consonance with Lindqvist

(2003, p.250), prospective education implies that a student should be capable of

approaching problems that do not yet exist at the moment. In agreement with this

statement creativity is a skill to help students approach problems that they are faced

with in their life. Vygotsky’s views on creativity have helped this study to realise the

importance of creative imagination to help our students to construct the future. The next

theorist which will go under the microscope will be Abraham Maslow commenting on

his holistic view on creativity.

Abraham Maslow on creativity

Abraham Maslow an American psychologist born in 1908 contributed to a

holistic approach to education. Although Maslow and Vygotsky were both around the

same age, they both believed in contrasting views on creativity. Maslow believed in a

holistic approach to creativity. He emphasises the importance of a person to engage in

creativity to help them to become a better individual. Maslow (1971, p.76) believes that

any factors that would produce a more creative person would also make a man a better

father, or better teacher, or better citizen, or a better dancer, or a better anything. This

statement shows how creativity can be applied to many aspects of life to try make us

better individuals. By developing creativity in the WT and G classroom, it is giving

students skills in which they can apply to other areas in their lives. This holistic view is

paramount to Maslow’s core beliefs on education. Therefore, many people believe that

creativity can allow students to reach their full potential otherwise known as self-

actualisation. According to Wadaani (2015, p.664), for students to achieve self-

actualization, they need to be as creative as possible on both sides; general/personal/life

creativity, and domain specifics creativity. This theory not only links with education but

with all walks of life. Being creative can help the teaching world evolve. From the

author’s experience, he had the privilege of seeing creativity in the classroom while on a

school placement block. He observed students getting lost in the present when taking

part in a creative activity. Wadanni (2015 p.674) presents Maslow’s approach to

creativity “Teaching in schools should be administrated to lead all students to be

creative personally, socially, and academically with the same weight of importance, as

interrelated factors of authentic achievement and success. As mentioned earlier,

embedding creative activity into your personal, social and academic life can be

encouraged throughout educational environments to help aid people in reaching success.

Many educational systems carry the view that as long as our students have typical

pragmatic job skills, becoming cognitively agile and seemly smarter everything is okay.

Whereas Maslow thinks deeper trying to cultivate our being through creativity. Maslow

(1971, p.29) states that to encourage optimal creativity, characteristics like boldness,

courage, freedom, integration and self-acceptance all contribute to creativeness which

expresses itself in the creative life, attitude and person. These are certainly contributing

characteristics this study could use. If educators look to promote these skills it will bring

creative ideas to full fruition. Lastly, Maslow (1971, p.33) discusses peak experiences or

the light bulb moment in the creative process. He states that the emotional reaction of

the peak experience has a special flavour of wonder, awe, reverence, humility and

surrender before the experience of something great. ‘Peak experiences’ are common

occurrences in the heat of creative inspiration for our project solving students. When

students think of an innovative idea, they are in awe of their creation. It can be hard to

separate the student from their ‘peak experience’ to think more divergently. 21st century
views of creativity will be the focus now with relevant research conducted by Teresa

Amabile.

Teresa Amabile on creativity

Teresa Amabile an American Professor born in 1950 created a theory based

around creativity. She holds views which are contrary to the 20th century philosophers

mentioned above. The componential theory of creativity was articulated by Teresa

Amabile in 1983. Her theory encapsulated the main factors needed to become a creative

individual or organisation. Three of her main components of her model of creativity are

as follows and are expressed in the figure two below:

1. Expertise

2. Creative thinking skills

3. Motivation

[CITATION Ter12 \p 3 \l 6153 ]

 (Amabile, 2012, p. 3)
Figure Two
Understanding these influences can help when trying to foster

creativity. It is important to understand the benefits of this model, it

will be explained in detail below:

1. Expertise

Amabile refers to expertise as “domain relevant skills”. She believes that no one

can be fully creative if they do not have domain relevant skills in the subject,

they are trying to be creative in. Imagine if a teacher asked first year WT

students to come up with a creative new project. This student has very little

knowledge of the science of wood, design, hand skills or problem-solving skills.

This would be unfair to expect this student to produce a fantastic piece of work.
 Therefore, domain relevant skills are needed first before the students can

produce fully creative works.

2. Creative thinking skills

Secondly, Amabile talks about creative thinking skills as being a key influence

in being successfully creative. A student’s creative skill level can vary

depending on the experiences that the student has been exposed to. It is hard to

measure this however, and it would be unfair to ask students of different creative

standards to complete the same project. The chances are that the student with the

strong attributes in creative thinking would get on better. Creative thinking skills

need to be developed first before taking on a big task involving large amounts of

originality, freshness of vision and imagination. Students in first and second year

should be given the time to be use their creative minds, therefore developing

creative thinking skills.

3. Motivation

Thirdly, motivation can be very effective in the classroom. Intrinsic motivation

is preferred by Amabile in her theory. Amabile (1993, p.13) states that if

rewards confirm people’s competence (for example, by recognizing the value of

their work), or enable them to become more deeply involved in work they are

excited about (for example, by giving them more resources to do the work

effectively), intrinsic motivation and creativity might actually be enhanced. This

process is termed “motivational synergy”. In WT, if a project means something

to the child it can get them more deeply involved therefore enhancing their

creativity. Meanwhile if a child does not make this connection, they may lose

interest more quickly. Motivational synergy process is something the author can

resonate with from his own experience.

These three components of Amabile’s theory are solid factors which clearly impact a

students’ creative capabilities. Amabile helps us to delve into the mind of our students

to understand what factors promote fostering creativity. Taking note of these factors can

promote future generations in the development of their creative style and knowledge.

This will help them to equip themselves to solve problems in a forever changing world.

In Amabile’s theory she discusses the individual creative process. Similarly, to

the other theories she mentioned this concept through a five-stage process. These five

stages are the following:

1. Task presentation

2. Preparation

3. Idea generation

4. Idea validation

5. Outcome assessment (Teresa Amabile & Michael Pratt, 2016, p.164)

In the next section of this examination, I will discuss each of these in turn.

1. Task Presentation as noted by Teresa Amabile and Michael Pratt (2016, p.

164) can be broadly defined as an individual’s strong intrinsic motivation to

solve a particular problem or tackle an intriguing opportunity can kick off the

process, or it can be started by an external source. This is the first stage of the

individual creativity process. It involves identifying a goal or problem. This

process is very much evident in the Junior Cycle subject, WT. In 3rd year of

second level education the students solve a brief and develop a solution.
 Amabile believes in the importance of motivation in this process whether it be

intrinsic or extrinsic motivation at this stage.

2. Preparation is the second stage. This preparation stage is a time for building

knowledge, skills, and specific information necessary to tackle a problem. As

reported by Teresa Amabile & Michael Pratt (2016, p. 164), if the individual’s

stock of domain-relevant skills is high, this stage can be quite brief, if not it can

take a long time. Another example of what is meant here is if a student wished to

complete a dovetail joint to join to pieces of timber together. They would have

to learn and perfect the skill first. Meanwhile if they have already completed a

quality dovetail joint before they do not need as much time. This can be seen

directly in the WT classroom.

3. Idea generation is the third stage according to Teresa Amabile and Michael

Pratt (2016, p. 165) which involves coming up with one or more possibilities for

solving a problem or meeting a goal. Multiple brainstorms, inquiries, mind

mapping and other idea generating methods are used in this stage. The choice of

exploration is entirely up to the teacher. Exploration of information is the main

aim. Students in the subject WT explore their different solutions through the use

of sketches. These sketches are merely a brainstorm of alternative solutions.

4. Idea validation is the fourth stage and in keeping with the work of Teresa

Amabile and Michael Pratt (2016, p. 165) it involves checking ideas against

criteria for the task and criteria in the domain more generally, to ensure the

usefulness or appropriateness. This helps to keep on topic and choose the best

solution for the task. Students must decide what solution they would pick.
 Characteristics like boldness and freedom are expressed when the student makes

their decision.

5. Outcome assessment is the final stage, conforming to Teresa Amabile and

Michael Pratt (2016, p. 165) decisions are made based on the results of the

fourth stage. The individual decides whether the innovation they have created

reflects their aim. Evaluation and assessment of possible improvements to the

innovation can also be discussed in this stage. Evaluation is an important part to

this process. Students must be honest with themselves to be successful.

This five-step process towards creativity is part of Teresa Amabile & Michael Pratt

theory. In figure three, the graphic shows how all this theory is linked. This theory

seems very relevant towards fostering creativity in the technical classroom. Amabile

explains how creativity happens which gives a solid foundation to this study. Below in

figure three we see how different stages of creativity are linked with individual

components.

Figure Three
(Teresa Amabile & Michael Pratt, 2016, p. 165).

Lastly Amabile (2001, p.335) criticised theories of creativity that over-emphasise

personal talent as a premier source of individual creativity and proposed her

componential model that emphasises hard work and passionate desire as factors that

play central roles in creative performance. This statement linked with my research on

common misconceptions on creativity. Creativity is something that can be fostered in

the classroom with hard work and passion. After studying this theory, it helps teachers

lead more creative lessons therefore allowing our students look at the world in different

ways. Having discussed three theorists with multiple views, it is now time to compare

these.

Compare and Contrast

The research above has presented three individual contributions to the theory

behind creativity. A comparative and contrasting exercise of the work of Lev Vygotsky,

Abraham Maslow and Teresa Amabile will help formulate ideology on how to foster

creativity in the technical subjects. There are some similarities however each theorist

thinks diversely to one another leading to more dissimilarities in this discussion. Both

Vygotsky and Maslow being 20th century theorists brings a contrast to Amabile’s theory

which is suited to the classroom of the 21st century. Vygotsky’s theory differs from

Maslow’s views in a number of respects. As mentioned earlier, he talks about creativity

as a tool of imagination to help create the future. In contrast, Maslow takes a different

approach. Maslow believes that creativity helps to create a better all-round individual
personally, socially and academically. Maslow promotes fostering creativity through

certain characteristics a person must have to reach their own full potential. When

interpreting this contrast, it seems like Vygotsky takes creativity from the viewpoint of

a society whereas Maslow discusses creativity on a personal, individual level. Craft

(2003, p.114) states that fostering creativity is seems positive for both the individual as

well as society. Both Vygotsky and Maslow hold the same opinion as Craft. Vygotsky

focused more on creativity from a societal point of view whereas Maslow’s views fit

into holistic education developing the inner being. A more recent study conducted by

Amabile describes creative factors and the creative process in a way that is very relevant

in the technical subjects. There is no doubt that expertise, creative thinking skills and

motivation can all affect creative potential. While the other theorists give their views on

creativity, Amabile focuses on factors which influence it. Knowing these factors is by

far very beneficial for fostering creativity in the classroom. Understanding how

individuals go through the creative process is also important. Her theory is all

interconnected and rather than just having a view on creativity she discusses how it

influences education. Unlike Vygotsky and Maslow, she has developed factors for us all

to consider when trying to foster creativity directly related to my dissertation. Another

topic directly linked to this dissertation is the purpose of creativity as a key skill in the

Junior Cycle.

Creativity, a key skill in the Junior Cycle

A new age of education in Ireland has emerged with the introduction of

creativity in the new Junior Cycle, thereby assigning preliminary status to ‘creativity’ in

the first, second and third-year classrooms. Being creative is one of the eight key skills

of the Junior Cycle as seen in figure 3. In recent years, there has been reform in Irish
education through the Junior Cert but now known as the Junior Cycle. Technical

subjects have seen a change in the way the specification is being delivered. For

example, Materials Technology Wood has been changed to WT and Technical Graphics

has been changed to G. Both these subjects have given more status to design thinking,

creativity and communication. Some might ask why is creativity an important skill for

students to learn? Research shows that there are ample benefits of developing this skill.

Plucker, Beghetto and Dow (2004, p. 83) say that “creativity is an important component

of problem-solving, healthy social and emotional well-being, scholastic and adult

success”. Research clearly shows that in this instance creative learning brings success.

Rather than students just reproducing what they can from memory creativity engages

students in so much more. As reported by Ofsted (2006, p.4):

“They are motivated to explore and challenge assumptions. Children and young people

take ownership of their own learning and thinking. They are imaginative, open-minded,

confident risk-takers, and appreciate issues from different perspectives. They can ask

questions, make connections across disciplines, envisage what might be possible and

not possible, explore ideas, identify problems, and seek and justify solutions”.

This quote depicts some of the key facets of students involved in the creative process.

This knowledge envisions an end goal of what creativity looks like. This is a vision of

what us educators can achieve. Of course, being able to recall information is important

however the author believes that students learn much more when exploring the

unknown and becoming risk takers once again. As we see in figure four, there are eight

key skills which look to be promoted in post-primary education.

 Figure four

(NCCA,2015, p.3)

The NCCA research on “Being Creative” has five key elements which they discussed.

These five facets of creativity could be areas which could help to foster creativity in the

technical classroom. They will be viewed through a pedagogical lens whilst keeping the

technical subjects at the heart of the investigation. They are as follows.

1. Imagining

2. Exploring options and alternatives

3. Implementing ideas and taking action

4. Learning creatively

5. Stimulating creativity using digital technology

The following section will explore each of these aspects to underpin a strong foundation

for understanding Irish policy on creativity in the Junior Cycle.

 1. Imagining

Imagination plays a vital part in technical subjects. For example, if students need to

solve a graphical question in the subject G. First, they must try and imagine what the

answer will look like. Imagination allows students to step outside of their current

space and recall things that are not present on the sheet in front of them.

Encouraging our students to imagine is important to help them building on their

creative skills. According to the NCCA (2015, p.9) this can be encouraged using

brainstorms, role play and thoughtful questions. When the author was on a block of

School Placement as part of his Initial Teacher Education programme, the topic of

transformation geometry was being addressed in the Graphics classroom. To

understand the difference between Translation and Axial symmetry two different

types of methods, the students were asked to imagine each method through a rapid

sketch before completing the question. The students were using knowledge of the

past to help them paint the answer of the future. Imagination helped them in this

process. Mentioned earlier Vygotsky states that imagination plays a vital part in

creativity even today as it is reproduced in this recent document. This shows that

even though Vygotsky was a 20th century theorist that his commentary links with

Irish curriculum of today.

2. Exploring options and alternatives

The NCCA (2015, p12) state that creative students explore possibilities, keep their

options open and learn to cope with the uncertainty that this brings. This statement can

be closely linked with project making in the WT room. Students investigate and explore

options before making a project meanwhile the project sometimes will not always go as

planned. Some might say we live in a risk adverse generation. Professor Sir Harold

Kroto (2016, p.13), Nobel prize-winning chemist states that nine out of ten of my
experiments fail, and that is considered a pretty good record amongst scientists. Each

time he failed he learned from his mistakes. This must be reiterated throughout our

classroom. Sternberg and Williams (2015, p. 5) say that creative people sometimes

make mistakes, fail, and fall flat on their faces, meanwhile exploring mistakes can be a

learning and growing opportunity. Wendy Williams (2015, p.5) says that students can

become disheartened when a project has not gone as planned, nonetheless we must

remind them that nearly every major discovery or invention entailed some risk.

Although in subjects like mathematics students either get the right or the wrong answer,

going against the grain can create an environment free from criticism leaning more

towards a growth mindset. Facilitating students helping them to set goals, evaluating

and reflecting can be helpful in this stage of creativity.

3. Implementing ideas and taking action

While the author was on School Placement, he noticed that students find thinking of

new idea easy, meanwhile acting on the new idea is the hard part. Thinking of a new

idea is great however, what if our students do not transform their ideas into action?

Some students might hold back with a great idea, it is our job to motivate them to

implement their ideas. In relation to WT, some students can struggle to complete

projects. This can be for many reasons such as losing interest, making a mistake,

procrastinating and lacking self-belief. Given students extra time is not always the

answer. Creating an acting culture could possibly be on way of helping these students. It

involves testing out ideas and possible collaboration in some cases. Setting goals can

also aid students implementing their ideas and can give them a competitive nature. A

famous inventor, Alexandra Graham Bell (2011, p.3) says the only difference between

success and failure is the ability to take action. Replacing student procrastination with
taking action is one key part of creativity in the Irish educational system. Learning

creatively will be the focus of this next part.

4. Learning creatively

Being a role model in learning creatively can help students to fostering creativity. Craft

(2000, p. 116) says that nothing is more important than the teacher exemplifying the

habits, behaviours and thinking they want students to demonstrate. He highlights that

encouraging creativity in the classroom requires cooperation with the teacher in creating

an environment rich in exploratory materials with plenty of space in which children can

discover and learn in their own ways. Environments rich with creative activities allow

students to flourish in fostering creativity. Not only can they be creative through design

and project making, but through learning creatively, using creative tools and teaching

creatively. In the author’s third year of college he conducted a collaboration project

where he developed a cross-circular project mixing Junior Cycle mathematics and

Junior Cycle WT. This project could be a creative new way of learning moving forward

linking subjects across the curriculum. A flipped classroom approach is also another

way of diversifying the teaching strategy. The last part the NCCA discusses is

stimulating creativity using technology, this will be linked with Solidworks a software

programme use in the G Junior Cycle subject.

5. Stimulating creativity using technology.

Teachers of technology-based subjects can be leaders in this area of stimulating

creativity using technology. In subjects such as G and WT students are given the

opportunity to express creativity through technology with the use of Solidworks,

PowerPoint, CAD and many other teaching resources. Both Solidworks and CAD are

software programmes which allow students to design and create a new product or

existing one. They can insert dimensions, appearances and backgrounds to bring this
idea or concept to life. Infusing both technology and creativity is not an easy feat.

Creative real-world approaches to teaching might help consider how technology helps

to view and learn content in original or compelling way. In line with what Henriksen,

Mishra and Fisser (2016, p. 31) say, it allows students to create content, rather than

summarise and repeat it. Future technology teachers have an opportunity to use this as a

tool to stimulate creative learning. Wheeler, Waite and Bromfield (2011, p. 179) state

that computers are an effective tool which can liberate and foster creativity in students.

New technology has much to offer to the world of creative sharing as seen in internet

crowd-sourcing of data or ideas, new applications for content development, creating

unique or remixed work, sharing video/audio/images/text across global contexts, and

websites that allow diverse creators to share content (for example, YouTube, Sound

Cloud, Vimeo, to name a few) (Henriksen, et al., 2016, p.33). Clearly technology can be

a tool in aiding teachers fostering creativity in their students.

In conclusion these five core elements of creativity can help foster creativity in

the technical subjects. Each carries weight and value to this study. Now an investigation

into Chief Examiner Reports to highlight valuable information on the critics of

creativity at Junior Cycle.

Chief Examiner Reports

Chief Examiner Reports have become an essential part of growth in education. This

section will examine Chief Examiner Reports in relation to Junior Cycle technical

subjects. The reason there is an examination on Chief Examiner Reports is to highlight

any key research which may be valuable in relation to creativity and fostering it in the

technical subjects. Research conducted by the State Examinations Commission (2009,

p.10) in relation to the WT project brief shows that:

“Many candidates displayed inventiveness, resourcefulness and creativity in achieving a
solution to their chosen brief. It was noted that candidates who presented the most
creative and individual realisations had invariably completed an in-depth analysis and
had done comprehensive investigation and research”.

Students clearly need creative skills to solve their given brief in a successful fashion.

This report shows that students who show creativity complete comprehensive

investigation and research, once again this relates back to Teresa Amabile. Her theory

mentions idea generation which would involve investigation and research. The State

Examination Commission acknowleges that students will repsond to each brief in their

own unique ways, reflecting independent research, ideas and creatvity. In most schools

they see a wide range of work showing creativty, skills flair and dedication (2009, p8 ).

Fostering creativity is vital for students to be able to respond to the brief in a unqiue

way. As reported by the State Examinations Commission (2009, p.13) it can be seen

that students who express creativity and uniqueness achieve high marks.

“In many such instances the same cutting list was use by all candidates, the work was
almost identical, and the coursework of different candidates differed only in the
embellishment applied. Such coursework cannot command the same marks as work
which expresses the unique creativity and design ideas of the individual candidate”.

Being creative can aid students in reaching top marks and allow them to stand out to the

crowd. Therefore, this shows how the fostering this skill can enhance students learning.

Fostering creativity is something that will be discussed in the next part of this study.

Fostering Creativity in Technical Subjects.

Having discussed all the above research, one might wonder why foster creativity? In

today’s society as acknowledged by Florida (2004, p.14), creativity is one of the key

desired educational outcomes in the 21st century as the world’s economic growth is

increasingly innovation driven. Hence, why fostering creativity is so important for

future generations, particularly in technological subjects. As Vygotsky mentioned

earlier, creativity will help us to shape our future. Technical subjects allow our students

to be innovatively driven, therefore meeting the needs of society. Kaufman and

Beghetto (2009, p. 6) state that creative thinking is defined as the thinking that enables

students to apply their imagination to generating ideas, questions and hypotheses,

experimenting with alternatives and to evaluating their own and their peers ideas, final

products and processes. Creative thinking is one of the main skills used in technical

subjects. Students use their imagination, generate concepts, question briefs, experiment

with tools, software technology and assess their final solution. Consequently, this

acknowledges that creative thinking is currently present in our subjects already.

Teachers of technical subjects first need to be aware of the areas in their subjects which

already incorporate elements of creativity in conjunction with the awareness of creative

potential stored within our students.

In Technical Graphics (the old subject before the Junior Cert reform), students

conducted only basic skills and information-based activities. They completed very few

new key skills introduced in the new Junior Cycle such as ‘being creative’. Morrell

(2015, p.22) states that the current atmosphere in schools of strictly teaching mandated,

educational standards are very skills-based and information-based and not creativity-

encouraging themselves. This shows how creativity was not encouraged before the

Junior Cert reform. Now currently in the subject G (new subject) teachers complete a

project which fosters new skills but more importantly for this study creativity. Morrell

mentions the school’s atmosphere. Developing a creative atmosphere in the classroom

and school can make it flourish and build key characteristics in our students to foster

creativity within themselves. A study from Baer and Garrett (2010, p. 19) have shown

that teachers can successfully meet standards and promote creativity in their classrooms.
Hence, this gives great hope for this study as it states that fostering creativity can be

done. According to Rogers and Amabile (1996, p.96) an environment that enhances

creativity requires teachers that provide a psychologically safe and motivating climate,

that allows each student to think, try, share, use different ways, make mistakes,

question, feel worthy, build autonomy and achieve self-esteem. If this type of

environment was embedded in WT and G specification it would give students creative

confidence to take sensible risks breaking away from direct instruction education.

Knowing how to stimulate creativity and the correct conditions needed is important for

the evolutionary process of creativity. As teachers of technical subjects with so much

scope for the use of creative activity we must become role models both teaching with

creativity and for creativity.

Design thinking is one of the main facets of WT. According to Kwek (2011, p.

4) design thinking is an approach to learning that focuses on developing children’s

creative confidence through hands-on collaborative projects that focus on empathy. If

we interpret this statement, we see the importance of hands on collaborative projects

that can aid creative development. This could possibly be an approach teacher could

take to fostering creativity. Something which caught the authors eye was projects that

focus on empathy. This relates back to Teresa Amabile’s theory on making activities

with meaning for our students as mentioned earlier. Shaffer, Williamson & Gee

respectively (2005, p.9), would agree that authentic-learning situations are the answer to

teaching students to be innovative and equipping them to be capable of rigorous

learning and thinking. Authentic learning could be an approach the teacher could take to

foster creativity. In the subject’s WT and G students are given the perfect opportunity to

be creative through project-based learning. This can be seen throughout the Wood

Technology Classroom. Morrell (2015, p.7) says in relation to project-based learning

that helping students to learn in the context of real-life situations and in a way that

matters because the students are actively involved and can see the applicability of their

evolving knowledge. Morrell (2015, p.24) also mentions how some students are less

likely to display outside-the-box thinking for fear of not getting “the correct” answer.

Fear of failure can cause creative ideas to be abandoned. The importance of instilling

confidence in students to explore ideas and run with them has never been so important.

Being able to give students feedback to evaluate areas they can improve to become

more creative thinkers. Now we must conclude the above information and ask ourselves

what this means for this study.

Conclusion

This dissertation establishes that creativity can be fostered at the Junior Cycle level in

the technical subjects. Findings will be discussed throughout this dissertation in logical

order.

Firstly, from my findings on defining creativity there is no one generic definition

describing creativity as it can be applied to so many areas. Meanwhile, the NAC, (1999,

p.30), Robert Franken (1994, p.396) and Kaufman and Baer (2012, p.29) noticed many

facets of the definitions underpin core elements of technical subjects particularly project

work. This tells us that creative activities can be easily intertwined into technical subject

lessons. The importance of speaking the creative language and thinking like a creative

person is crucial for both teacher and student in being able to foster creativity. Teachers

must model the definitions discussed and encourage their students to do the same. One

recurring theme in defining creativity was our imagination and the ability to generate

ideas, these are key facets of creative activity. From the findings one can conclude that

creative thinking needs to be original, purposeful and of value. Creative individuals

solve problems, communicate ideas and change an existing domain into a new one.

Creativity helps to paint what a project or concept will look like especially in the

technical subjects.

Prior to this study it is difficult to decipher the difference between true and false

statements on creativity which shows how this section is vitally important to understand

correct factors and characteristics needed to foster creativity. Many teachers and

students are unaware of the true definition of creativity. From the above findings,

creativity can come across as a mysterious power which is something you are born with

this is not the case as we know. Similar comparisons are made in figure 1(Ferrari et al.,

2009, p.16), which portrays some of the characteristics needed to be creative and certain

characteristics which are false. Both teacher and student need to be able to differentiate

the factors and characteristics which can harness creative potential rather than hindering

it. By developing knowledge, traits and factors which aid fostering creativity in

technical subjects.

One of the main goals of this study was to explore theories on creativity by examining

the work of Lev Vygotsky, Abraham Maslow and Teresa Amabile. The research above

has shown three different perspectives on creativity.

1. First to examine, Vygotsky’s analogy shows direct correlation to teachers

and students practice as he mentions how creative ideas do not always need

to be masterpieces of work, sometimes the simplest ideas can be just as

successful. In a technical classroom it is important to set high standards

however we must be realistic to student and classroom limitations to a

certain respect. The teacher must be aware of what work is capable to being

done. He talks about developing creativity from a societal level to better the
 worlds future which also lead to the discussion of reform to develop this skill

further particularly as students surpass Junior Cycle.

2. Maslow’s holistic views to develop creativity academically, socially and

personally is valuable to this dissertation. Maslow believes that creativity

helps to create a better all-rounded individual. This approach could be one

way of fostering creativity in our classrooms. Maslow (1971, p.29) states

that to encourage optimal creativity, characteristics like boldness, courage,

freedom, integration and self-acceptance all contribute to creativeness. These

characteristics could aid fostering creativity in technical subjects.

3. Amabile describes creative factors and the creative process in a way that is

very relevant in the technical subjects. Knowing these factors is very

beneficial for fostering creativity in the classroom. Not to forget,

understanding how individuals go through the creative process is also

important. This theory is the one most useful in fostering creativity in the

classroom. No matter how good the creative activity is if teachers do not take

the three main factors in consideration that activity will not be beneficial for

some students especially in the technical subjects.

Being creative is broken in five key parts in Irish Education. The understanding of

each of the following can aid us in fostering creativity:

 Imagining

 Exploring options and alternatives

 Implementing ideas and taking action

 Learning creatively

 Stimulating creativity using digital technology

This document produced by the NCCA can aid teachers in fostering creativity in the

technical subjects. From this research the author concluded that the headings above can

all contribute to fostering creativity in the technical subjects therefore assisting this

dissertation. The most significant thing noticed here was when students fail to take

action on their brilliant ideas. A limitation of this study is that there is no advice to help

students to progress past this stage. More research is needed to by this study to help

students progress past this stage.

It was beneficial to see what Chief Examiners had to say about creativity in the

technical classroom. Students clearly need creative skills to solve their given brief in a

successful fashion. This report shows that students who show creativity complete

comprehensive investigation and research. In the same report it can be seen that students

who express creativity and uniqueness achieve high marks. Therefore, if we encourage

creativity in the classroom it should aid our students in achieving high marks.

Lastly, from the research presented creativity is evermore present in our subjects

yet many teachers and students are unaware of the creative capacity stored within them.

Raising awareness of the fact that anyone can be creative is an important mindset and

should instilled into the next generation. Teachers must create an atmosphere in both the

classroom and the school that build key characteristics in fostering creativity. Following

Teresa Amabile’s theory behind the factors will produce some of the best creative

works. Authentic based learning, project based learning and collaborative learning are

all components technical teachers use in their classrooms already. These types of

learning activities allow students to flourish creatively.

In conclusion, creativity can be fostered in the technical classroom with the right

factors, atmosphere, characteristics, and curriculum creative ideas will change our

worlds for the better making us better students and teachers alike. Furthermore, this
dissertation will finish on a quote spoken by the former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (2020,

p.7) highlighting the importance in fostering creativity “Creative children become

creative people and creative people of all ages are happier and more fulfilled in their

lives. More than ever we need creativity if we are to thrive and flourish in an

increasingly globalised technical world”.

Recommendations

The findings of this study have several important implications for future practice.

Further research to level nine standard could also be conducted to determine in greater

detail how to foster creativity in the technical subjects. It is strongly recommended by

the researcher that further investigate and possible experimentation could be conducted

to enhance this dissertation. This dissertation is most beneficial for fellow teaching

practitioners seeking to expand their knowledge of creativity in the classroom.

Researchers and policymakers might extract value from its theoretical discussions and

whether its recommendations are espoused in practice. The work of Lev Vygotsky,

Abraham Maslow and Teresa Amabile has illuminated the importance of fostering

creativity in the classroom. Curriculum advancements further support a rationale for

examining and implementing such strategies as part of the Junior Cycle reform.

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