CREATIVITY AND TRANS-DISCIPLINARY THINKING IN THE PRACTICES OF ACCOMPLISHED ...

209 Pages·2011·0.86 MB·English

by  Danah Henriksen

WE TEACH WHO WE ARE: CREATIVITY AND TRANS-DISCIPLINARY
THINKING IN THE PRACTICES OF ACCOMPLISHED TEACHERS

By

Danah Henriksen

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Educational Psychology and Educational Technology

2011
ABSTRACT
We Teach Who We Are: Creativity and Trans-disciplinary Thinking
In the Practices of Accomplished Teachers

By

Danah Henriksen
Creativity is an essential factor in thinking and learning which cuts across all
disciplines. There is a general conviction that creativity should be supported and
developed educational settings (Williams, 2002). However there remains little
understanding of effective applications of creative teaching in classroom teachers. This
may be due to the complex nature of creativity, and the lack of a consistent definition of
“what creativity is” or “what it means” in teaching or educational research (Marksberry,
1963; Sternberg, 1999; Baker et al., 2001; Friedel & Rudd, 2005).
Research has also demonstrated that the most successful and creative people in
any discipline often have avocations or artistic pursuits which enhance their thinking
within their professional discipline (Root-Bernstein, 1996, 1999, 2003). It has also been
suggested that talented or innovative thinkers in a variety of disciplines employ similar
kinds of creative thinking skills (Freedman, 2003). These broad minded creative skills are
known as trans-disciplinary thinking skills. They are used by both artists and scientists,
and tend to fall into a few specific cognitive categories.
This qualitative study is an investigation of these issues among highly
accomplished teachers. Specifically, in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals
who have either received, or been a national finalist for the National Teacher of the Year
award. These teachers have been noted as successful in the classroom, and the purpose of
this study was to examine how these teachers define creativity, and how they function
creatively in the classroom. This research also considers how artistic interests and
avocations inspire creative ideas, and the ways that this connects to creative thinking
skills (trans-disciplinary thinking skills).
Findings of this study noted that while creativity has some generalizable elements,
these are instantiated and evaluated according to context. In terms of how this creativity
plays out in successful teaching practice, key themes included real-world teaching and
learning, cross-curricular connections, and taking intellectual risks. It was also noted
that accomplished teachers engage in a variety of avocations and creative pursuits in their
personal lives which creatively influences their teaching practices. Teachers frequently
noted that “we teach who we are,” and it seems that those who engage creatively outside
of teaching are able to usefully draw on this in their teaching practice. Finally, this study
found that trans-disciplinary skills are highly valuable and frequently used in the
practices of successful and accomplished teachers. All of the teachers in the study
provided specific examples and discussion of how played out in different ways in their
classrooms and teaching practice.
Copyright by
DANAH HENRIKSEN
2011
DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to the outstanding creative teachers that make education a
worthwhile and exciting endeavor for their students. This includes the remarkable
teachers in this study, and all of the educators throughout the field of education who meet
the sizable challenges of teaching, using their own creativity to inspire it in their students.
Einstein famously noted that, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For
knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces
the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Creative and
successful teachers walk in both realms – building knowledge, and cultivating
imagination. In doing so, each creative teacher is in some small way a catalyst for all that
we will ever know and understand. The struggles of the profession, particularly in this
current day and age, do not make creativity in teaching an easy endeavor. Yet many still
find ways to succeed, and are owed a debt of gratitude for keeping alive the spirit of
discovery, playfulness and enjoyment in learning. This dissertation is dedicated to
creative teachers, in the hopes that we may learn from and engage their practices.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my graduate advisor and dissertation director Dr. Punya
Mishra, for his limitless reserve of patience, support, mentoring and thoughtful advice
throughout my doctoral program. Punya’s course in Learning through Design was one of
the first that I took in my Master’s program at MSU, and his ever-creative approach to
learning has been an inspiration. I feel very lucky that Dr. Mishra has served as my
advisor, as well as being a model of a dedicated and creative educator since day one of
my graduate career.
I would also like to thank my dissertation committee including, Dr. Janine Certo,
Dr. Rand Spiro and Dr. Amita Chudgar. Their willingness to share their time, along with
their deep and varied knowledge of educational research, has been invaluable through my
dissertation process. Their open-minded thinking and commitment to creativity, has
helped to see this research through from inception to conclusion. I am also grateful to
many other outstanding faculty members that I have been fortunate to learn from and
work with in my doctoral career, including Dr. Jack Smith, Dr. David Wong, Dr. Patrick
Dickson, and Dr. Matthew Koehler.
I owe a debt of thanks also to the eight award-winning teachers who participated
in this study. Throughout our discussions I was amazed and impressed with their
remarkable creativity, expertise and devotion to extraordinary teaching. Their students,
parents, schools and communities are very fortunate for their presence.
Finally I would like to thank two people who have been instrumental in shaping
my work, by shaping the person that I am today - my parents Gary and Sharon Henriksen.
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Their love and support through the years means more than I can say. As individuals they
are each creative in their own ways. As parents they have instilled a curiosity about
learning, ideas, and knowledge which I will always be thankful for. In this way, and in
others, they will always be a part of all I do.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………..xi

LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………...xii

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….…………………….…….1
Statement of the Problem……………….……………….………………………...2
Significance of the Study……………….………..………………………….…….4
Purpose Statement....……………………………………………………………....7

CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE…………………………………….…………………9
The Importance of Creativity…………………………………………………......9
Definitions of Creativity………………………………………………………....10
Origins of Creativity……………………………………………………………..12
Theories of Creativity……………………………………………………………13
Creativity in Education and Teaching……………………………………………17
“Effective Teaching” is “Creative Teaching”……………………………………20
Trans-disciplinary Creativity…………………………………………………….21
Trans-disciplinary Thinking Skills……………………………………………....24
Observing………………………………………………………………...25
Patterning………………………………………………………………...26
Abstracting……………………………………………………………….26
Embodied Thinking……………………………………………………...27
Modeling…………………………………………………………………27
Play………………………………………………………………………28
Synthesizing……………………………………………………………..28
Research Questions……………………………………………………………...29

CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………………………32
Purpose of the Study……………………………………………………………..32
Research Design………………………………………………………………….32
Characteristics of Qualitative Research………………………………………….33
Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………..34
Sampling and Participants………………………………………………………..36
Rationale for “Teacher of the Year” as Research Group………………………...37
Recruitment………………………………………………………………………39
Data Collection…………………………………………………………………..41
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………….43
Developing Codes………………………………………………………..44
Sample Excerpt from Coding…………………………………………….46
Final Code Listing………………………………………………………..47
Reliability and Validity…………………………………………………………..49
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Summary…………………………………………………………………………52

CHAPTER 4
RESULTS………………………………………………………………………………..54
Description of Participants……………………………………………………....55
Mark…………………………………………………………………......55
Sandra……………………………………………………………………56
Carrie…………………………………………………………………….58
Jack………………………………………………………………………59
Julia………………………………………………………………………60
Adam……………………………………………………………………..61
Mia……………………………………………………………………….62
Marie……………………………………………………………………..64
Research Question 1 Analysis: Creativity in Teaching Practices………………..65
Defining Creativity………………………………………………………66
Creativity as a Mindset…………………………………………………..70
Real-world Learning……………………………………………………..76
Cross-curricular Connections…………………………………………….82
Risk-taking……………………………………………………………….88
Research Question 2 Analysis: Avocations, Creativity & Success in Teaching...90
What Kinds of Creative Interests and Avocations…………………….... 91
We Teach Who We Are……………………………………………….....93
Music and the Arts: Translating Avocations into Teaching Practice……96
Athletic/Kinesthetic Pursuits: Mind/Body Connections………………..104
Research Question 3 Analysis: Trans-disciplinary Thinking Skills….………...108
Observation…..........................................................................................109
Patterning……………………………………………………………….115
Abstracting…...………………………………………………………....119
Embodied Thinking.................................................................................125
Modeling..................................................................................................132
Play..........................................................................................................136
Synthesizing……………………………………………………...……..141
Summary…………………………………………………………...…...143

CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS…………………………………………………………………...…..146
Discussion of Findings…………………………………………………………147
Defining Creativity and What it Means………………………………...148
Avocations and Creative Interests……………………………………...151
Trans-disciplinary Skills in Teaching Practices………………………...155
Conclusions……………………………………………………………………..159
Implications for Policy and Practice……………………………………………160
Creativity in Context……………………………………………………160
Educational Policy……………………………………………………...164
Higher Education……………………………………………………….167
Recommendations for Future Research...............................................................169
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Limitations and Delimitations..............................................................................170
Summary……………………..............................................................................171

APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………….173
Appendix A: Semi-Structured Interview Protocol……………………………..174
Appendix B: Instrumentation Cross-Reference………………………...............177
Appendix C: Creativity Notes/Evidence from Finalist Applications……….….178
Appendix D: Recruitment Letter……………………………………………….187

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………188
References………………………………………………………………...……189
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