ERIC Number: ED546484
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Aug
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2009-1788
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Creativity in Teaching Plant Production
Ibrakovic, Vehid; Bognar, Branko
Online Submission, Educational Journal of Living Theories v2 n2 p232-256 Aug 2009
Using life-affirming values as a starting point, authors conducted action research to investigate ways of enabling pupils to experience freedom of choice, and to participate creatively in class activities, thus allowing them to begin to enjoy the subject of agriculture. The research problem was: How to encourage pupils to independently and freely express creativity in the plant production classes. On the basis of the research problem they set two main aims: (1) to encourage the pupils' divergent thinking by using different creative techniques in teaching and (2) to increase pupil satisfaction with the possibility of participation in the planned activities. Teacher used creative techniques of Provocation, Mind Maps, Brainstorming, Five Ws and a H, Random Stimuli, and Freedom of Choice in order to achieve these pre-set aims. This research demonstrates that the application of creative techniques is not enough to spur pupils' creativity. There are other factors that influence pupils' creativity, including the length of the lesson, the methods used in other teachers' classes, the pupils' previous experience of creative activities, as well as the teacher's competence in encouraging creativity. Freedom to choose activities has proved to be the most inspiring for the pupils. It was only when teacher gave the pupils freedom of choice that they defined problems relevant to themselves (the construction of a compost place and the production of a spice) and found appropriate solutions for these issues.
Descriptors: Creative Teaching, Action Research, Creativity, Thinking Skills, Student Attitudes, Student Motivation, Learning Activities, Satisfaction, Brainstorming, Cognitive Mapping, Stimuli, Student Participation, Foreign Countries, Gardening, Agricultural Education, Photography, Video Technology, Diaries, Interviews, Feedback (Response), Vocational Education, Secondary School Students
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Croatia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A