Critical thinking is essentially "better thinking." When students think critically they consider complex information from numerous sources and perspectives in order to make a reasonable judgment that they can justify. It has been associated with academic qualities such as decision-making, creativity, reasoning, problem-solving, debating,…

This paper details the early stages of research which, through exploring new methodological and conceptual spaces, is being carried out with the aim of contributing to redressing the balance between creativity and performativity, in secondary level dance education in England. The Dance Partners for Creativity Research (DPC) Project is a…

Despite national initiatives in the UK such as Creative Partnerships, an organization formed in 2002 for exploring creative approaches to learning in the classroom, there is still a gap between aspiration and practice. This is especially evident in the teaching of musical composition in primary schools, partly because there seems to be a profound…

The relationships between high-stakes testing, curriculum, and the economic needs of our nation are explored. High-stakes testing has been found to narrow the curriculum by forcing more attention to be paid to reading, mathematics, and test preparation. Less time is available for the arts and humanities and for activities that could promote…

Despite the progress in technology since the time of Maria Montessori, the science curriculum has been pushed aside slowly as teachers' focus has shifted to literacy and mathematics. The Early Childhood classroom has grown complacent with miniature life cycle lessons and attractive puzzles; the time has come to return science to a critical…

This article draws on and extends a four-year investigation of creativity in music education with particular reference to the perceptions of six secondary school teachers (Odena & Welch, 2007; Odena, Plummeridge, & Welch, 2005). A comprehensive review of recent literature in musical creativity is provided, which complements and reinforces the…

Current trends for treatment of women with anorexia nervosa often focus on weight gain as the primary therapeutic goal without concurrently addressing psychological concerns. As a result of this singular focus, many women drop out of treatment before recovering. This article offers an alternate treatment model. A synthesized narrative and poetry…

Expressive therapy interventions are a useful resource for counselors working with a wide range of presenting issues. This article illustrates a series of improvisational acting exercises that can be used within a family counseling context. Clear directions for specific exercises are provided, along with illustrative case examples.

Empirical studies of creativity have focused on the importance of divergent thinking, which supports generating novel solutions to loosely defined problems. The present study examined creativity and frontal cortical activity in an externally-validated group of creative individuals (trained musicians) and demographically matched control…

Sackett, Borneman, and Connelly argued that several common criticisms of cognitively laden tests are not well supported by the literature. The authors' systematic exploration of research surrounding seven specific criticisms is laudable, and we do not find fault with their conclusions as presented. In evaluating the seven concerns, however, the…

How is it that smart administrators who want to do a good job often find themselves in situations that degenerate into confrontation and, ultimately, termination? In this article, the author discusses why in terms of a model of leadership--which he refers to it as WICS, an acronym for wisdom, intelligence and creativity synthesized. He describes…

This paper draws on the work of Basil Bernstein to offer a (re-) conceptualisation of creativity for the English further education (FE) sector. It begins by locating creativity within the political economy of FE and argues that teaching and learning is constrained by an instrumental remit for the sector, which prioritises perceived economic needs…

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the Van Hiele model based instruction process on the creative thinking levels of 6th grade primary school students. Pre test-post test matching control group quasi-experimental design was used in the study. Fifty five students enrolled in sixth grades during the 2005-2006 educational year formed…

A remarkably consistent picture of the value of the arts in a comprehensive Pre-K-grade 12 education emerges from a review of two decades of theory and policy recommendations about arts education. Over the past decade, the National Governors Association, the Education Commission of the States, the National Association of State Boards of Education,…

This study compared the perceptions of college business faculty and students regarding the business competencies needed to get a job after graduation. The population for this research consisted upper-level students (n = 254), who were enrolled in business classes at a Midwest university and faculty members (n = 37) teaching in the business area at…