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Teaching for Creativity by Science Teachers in Grades 5–10

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Abstract

This classroom observation study explored how science teachers (N = 22) teach for creativity in grades 5–10 in Oman. We designed an observation form with 4 main categories that targeted the instructional practices related to teaching for creativity: questioning strategy, teacher’s responses to students’ ideas, classroom activities to support creativity, and whole-lesson methods that foster creativity. An open-ended survey was also designed to explore participants’ justifications for their instructional decisions and practices. The findings indicate that the overall level of teaching for creativity was low and that participants’ performance was the highest for teacher’s responses to students’ ideas category and the lowest for classroom activities to support creativity category. We observed that a teacher-centered approach with instructional practices geared toward preparing students for examinations was dominant and that these science teachers were bound to the textbook, following cookbook-style activities. Participants believed that they did not have enough time to cover the content and teach for creativity and that they were not prepared to teach for creativity. Based on these findings, we recommend that programs be developed to prepare science teachers to teach for creativity.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Larry Yore for his valuable academic editorial editing and to Shari Yore for her technical editing as part of a special editorial assistance coordinated by IJSME.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ad Dakhiliyah Governorate, Ministry of Education, Nizwa, Oman

    Nasser S. Al-Abdali

  2. Curriculum and Instruction Department, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

    Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi

Authors
  1. Nasser S. Al-Abdali
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  2. Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi
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Correspondence to Sulaiman M. Al-Balushi.

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Al-Abdali, N.S., Al-Balushi, S.M. Teaching for Creativity by Science Teachers in Grades 5–10. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 14 (Suppl 2), 251–268 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9612-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9612-3

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