Nurturing Creativity in the Classroom: An exploration of consensus across theory and practice

A must for all classroom teachers and those training to teach, this book explores the nature of creativity with ideas and practical strategies for nurturing pupils’ creative skills in primary and secondary schools.

It offers a detailed exploration of pedagogy that nurtures creativity, specifically examining the concept of creative agency by looking at how individuals are encouraged to develop their own skills of imagination, innovation and collaboration. Accounts from people well-known for being creative provide a lens through which to critically examine a variety of theoretical frameworks, published creative education checklists, and other relevant research and case studies demonstrating creative pedagogical practices. The book thus draws together consensus from multiple perspectives about the conditions most effective for nurturing creativity. This practical theorising approach will help professionals in educational settings engage in critical enquiry about teaching for creativity, while reflective questions encourage the reader to explore their own perceptions and practice.

Karen Hosack Janes is a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and an education consultant, specialising in pedagogies that nurture creative development. She has worked at a senior level in the education and museums and galleries sectors, and now supports teachers and teacher training students in designing activities that maximize learners' creative agency. Formerly head of schools at the National Gallery, London, she has run education programmes and visited numerous schools across the UK, enabling her to see first-hand how creativity is taught and the challenges teachers encounter.