Support for reflective practice (Dewey, 1910; Schon, 1983) as a way of reviewing, articulating and informing practice, is well-established within teacher education and research, though there is still much to learn from the individual experience of the practitioner who grapples with the reflective process. This paper highlights the deliberations of…

This research highlights the learning of female offenders on a 20-day tailor-made experiential adventure education course (Women in Action) delivered by Outward Bound New Zealand. The aims of the course were to increase self-awareness, to develop an understanding of the concept of choice and self responsibility, to improve communication skills and…

In school settings, students are typically evaluated using group achievement tests, IQ scales, and college entrance exams that focus more on rote-verbal skills (e.g., vocabulary, mathematical facts) than on higher level executive functions (e.g., abstract thinking, problem solving). However, recent neuropsychological findings suggest that…

Assessment of craft in the creative/fine/performing arts is not different in any fundamental way from assessment of other competencies. By investigating the nature of critique and proposing a structural approach to examination/evaluation, we address processes and goals of assessment, providing access points for this difficult aspect of general…

The present study empirically addresses two longstanding controversial issues in the field of intellectual styles. The first concerns the distinction (or similarity) between various style constructs. The second relates to whether or not intellectual styles make a difference to students' academic achievement. Specifically, the study investigated…

What if…..? What if there was a kingdom in which the ordinary was perceived as extraordinary and mediocrity was the standard of excellence? In what ways might this society mold the mindset of its subjects? How might a creative and innovative newcomer respond to the intellectually numbing environment? Would she have the courage to defy conformity…

Reforming the traditional teaching mode and practicing a student-centered interactive teaching mode is the trend of development of the university. Interactive teaching can not only inspire the students' enthusiasm to learn and make them obtain better results on study, but also improve their analytical ability, practical ability and creative…

The exciting world of plants may be something of a mystery to many children, and the often-dry content of a curriculum taught indoors inhibits real understanding of many complex biological processes. Moving outdoors opens up an unexplored world and presents rich opportunities for imaginative learning. The "Life processes and living…

The aim of the present study was to explore the hypothesized relationship between divergent thinking (DT) and two types of evaluation: interpersonal (judgments about others' ideas) and intrapersonal (judgments about one's own ideas). Divergent thinking and evaluation skills were measured by means of a GenEva (Generation and Evaluation) task. There…

This article considers the position of the new technology in relation to musical creativity in the classroom. Creativity in music education is generally believed to be a good thing. However, it does not always engage or motivate pupils. Moreover, processes and outcomes are often perceived to be distant from the pupils musical lives and lack…

I invite and encourage students to take risks in their writing, to engage innovatively with a wide range of genre, to push limits in order to explore creatively how language and discourse are never ossified, but always organic, how language use is integrally and inextricably connected to identity, knowledge, subjectivity, and living. Informed by…

This article examines the division of music styles according to the conventional categories of classical, traditional and popular, and proposes the term "vernacular" as a complementary way of viewing various types of amateur music-making among diverse groups in modern societies. "Vernacular", as it is used here, includes the…

This experiential exercise is designed to explore the effects of positive and negative group environments on creativity. It asks students to undertake a creative activity (i.e., draw a picture) in groups with a member predesignated to offer either positive or negative comments. Students in the two different types of group environment produced…

In most cases therapy is addressed as an indoor verbal activity in which the relationship between therapist and client stands at its centre. This article proposes a different approach to therapy: conducting it creatively in nature, with the environment being used not only as a therapeutic setting but also as a medium and a partner in the process.…

"Structures Around the World" is an eighth-grade activity that places special emphasis on creativity and the aspects of design. This lesson interrelates across a variety of curriculums. Due to its diversity, this activity brings validity to technology education and how ideas are conceptualized. In this activity, students explore various…