Date of Award

2-1-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.

College

College of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Heather Miller, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Jillian Skelton, Ed.D.

Third Advisor

Tom Cavanagh, Ph.D.

Abstract

Education that adequately prepares students for the 21st-century global innovation economy must encourage secondary students to practice applied creativity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of secondary educators in Connecticut who encouraged students to practice applied creativity. One research question guided this multiple case study: How do Connecticut educators encourage secondary students to apply their creativity to the real world? The sample was a purposeful sample. All 10 participants taught in a regular school or a magnet school in Connecticut. Participants were teachers of English, history, mathematics, physical education, Reserve Officers Training Corps, and science. The data collection instruments were semistructured interviews, secondary semistructured interviews, and documents in the form of assignment sheets and assessment rubrics that participants used to encourage applied creativity. The inductive analysis model was used to analyze the data collected during the semistructured interviews, and the typological analysis model was used to analyze the documents. The key findings were that participants encouraged students to practice applied creativity by teaching them to engage in the creative process. Participants described seven stages of the creative process: inspiration, inquiry, connectivity, production, reflection, revision, and reinvention. By teaching them how to engage in each of these stages, teachers helped students develop creative thought into creative production and eventually into applied creativity.

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