The relationship between playfulness and creativity was examined among preschoolers in Japan. Statistical data analysis indicated no relationship between playfulness and creativity. Because teachers described some non-playful children as playful because of an internal playfulness that manifested in one-on-one interaction, qualitative data analysis…

Technology educators must be familiar with the essential characteristics that define creativity and be able to identify the variables that contribute to a classroom environment that will support the development of creative abilities. Research demonstrates that organizational climate makes the crucial difference in creativity. (Contains 18…

Discusses the creation and popularity of Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit." Concludes that today, Potter's quiet stories offer young children a glimpse into the naughtiness that innocence fosters within the security of a family's love, and show children an idyllic time when towns were small enough that friends knew each other well and…

The study of the creative personality has established itself as a major avenue of research on creativity and creative problem solving, other areas being creative process, product, and environment (or press). With respect to personality research, over the past 50-plus years, many studies have examined characteristics, attitudes, preferences,…

This article presents a summary of research, development, and applications of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) in educational settings and, more specifically, in gifted education. The CPS framework is widely known and applied as one important goal in contemporary gifted education, as well as in relation to initiatives for "teaching thinking" in the…

Creativity is seen as a complex process of information processing within a defined cognitive realm, of "conceptual space," which defines the possibilities in terms of sensible judgments. Creative acts consist of novel reorganizations and combinations of information and challenge the boundaries of sense as defined by the space. Creativity is a…

The aim of this essay is to discuss the effects of authoritarian and friendly attitudes of teachers on the design creativity of students in architectural education. The essay contains literary and comparative research on the relation between the authoritarian role of the teacher and the design psychology of the student which affects creativity. A…

Whether one elects to explore and create in the jazz, folk, or other idioms, children need a broad listening experience, a substantial repertoire of patterns, and most important, permission to think outside the box. It is imperative that music teachers create a classroom environment in which divergent thought is valued. Consider how students learn…

Harold Kroto is professor of chemistry at Sussex University and President of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), offers an insight into the way his discoveries, and his interpretation, were influenced by his other interests in the wider fields of chemistry and by his passionate interest in art. He shares his views on the discovery of…

The telling of lies is significant in fiction written for children, and is often (though not in all cases) performed by child protagonists. Lying can be examined from at least three perspectives: philosophical, moral and aesthetic. The moral and the aesthetic are the most significant for children's literature. Morality has been subtly dealt with…

Selection theory requires multiple, distinct, simultaneously-actualized states. In cognition, each thought or cognitive state changes the "selection pressure" against which the next is evaluated; they are not simultaneously selected amongst. Creative thought is more a matter of honing in on a vague idea through redescribing successive iterations…

This study tracks intellectually precocious youths (top 1%) over 20 years. Phase 1 (N = 1,243 boys, 732 girls) examines the significance of age 13 ability differences within the top 1% for predicting doctorates, income, patents, and tenure at U.S. universities ranked within the top 50. Phase 2 (N = 323 men, 188 women) evaluates the robustness of…

Despite significant progress over the past six decades, a number of obstacles still exist as far as the understanding and application of inventive ideation techniques is concerned. This paper describes the development of a model aimed at simplifying the selection and application of these techniques. Analysis of a diverse range of creative thinking…

Curriculum, instruction, learning and assessment are the pulse of the school. They are what drive everything else. They are the currency through which we exchange thoughts and ideas. They are the passions that bind our organization together. Educators recognize the growing need for informed, skilled, thoughtful and compassionate citizens who value…

Children have a right to play. The idea is so simple it seems self-evident. But a stroll through any toy superstore, or any half-hour of so-called "children's" programming on commercial TV, makes it clear that violence, not play, dominates what's being sold. In this article, the author discusses how teachers and parents share the responsibility in…