This study investigates the effects of prior experience, task instruction, and choice on creative performance. Although extant research suggests that giving people choice in how they approach a task could enhance creative performance, we propose that this view needs to be circumscribed. Specifically, we argue that when choice is administered…

College art students were videotaped creating original drawings from an array of objects. Judges reliably assessed the creativity of the drawings. Videos of the creation of ten high- and ten low-rated drawings were coded frame-by-frame to quantify the extent to which artists engaged in several categories of activities (selecting objects, selecting…

People have high regard for the arts, whatever the medium. From painting to the written word to performance and beyond, the arts help define people, both as individuals and as a society. And yet a strange dichotomy exists within one's society, where the arts are paid rhetorical respect even when they are not always adequately funded. Arts…

This is a comparative study of the career drivers of accounting students in Singapore, Australia and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The study examines the motivational factors that steer accounting students into choosing accounting as a programme of study in their respective countries. Comparative analyses are performed to…

In this study, the author investigated factors underlying vocal improvisation achievement and relationships with the singers' musical background. Participants were 102 college students in Australia and the United States who performed 3 jazz improvisations and 1 free improvisation. Jazz improvisations were rated on rhythmic, tonal, and creative…

Nicholas Serota calls Room 13 "the most important model for artistic teaching in school that we have in the UK." This article describes and considers aspects of the Room 13 initiative. Begun more than a decade ago in Scotland and now spreading internationally, Room 13 treats pupils as artists and business-people. By working alongside…

Many teachers are interested in fostering creativity, and there are good reasons for doing so. However, the question of how to do it is made difficult by the paradoxes of creativity: mutually contradictory findings that are, nonetheless, simultaneously true (e.g. convergent thinking hampers creativity but is also necessary for it). These paradoxes…

This article examines the circumstances affecting creative teaching and learning within the specific context of English further education (FE)--a sector which has proved to be particularly fertile ground for performativity. Beginning with an analysis of notions of creativity in education and a description of the peculiar history and policy context…

This article investigates the role of play and playlike activities (imagination, art) in developing and using symbolic tools. We understand processes of development of symbolic tools as coordination between two types of relationships: the subject-object relationships and the subject-subject relationships. This coordination begins when a new,…

Funding from grants is often at the core of a successful technology plan, but writing proposals requires a bit of magic and a lot of time. Grants can be a good way for educators to collaborate on building strong programs, but some creative thinking is also required. In this article, the author provides tips on how to win a grant: (1) Find a…

This article presents a review of nonverbal literature relating to therapy, music, autism, and music therapy. Included is a case study of a woman with autism who was nonverbal. The case highlights and analyzes behaviors contextually. Interpretations of communication through the music therapy, musical interactions, and the rapport that developed…

This manuscript explores and identifies the use of expressive techniques in counseling. Although verbal techniques are important, sometimes the best of verbal techniques are not sufficient. Creative, expressive techniques can add a new, important dimension to counseling. Such expressive techniques as cinema, art, and music are described to help…

Students were asked to describe a time when they felt in charge of their learning in school--when they were working not just for a grade but because they were excited and interested. This article shares what a few of them said.

In fourth grade, North Carolina students are required to write their own personal narratives. The teachers felt that telling a story would be a great stepping stone toward writing one. Rather than focusing on grammar and the mechanics of writing, students could focus on story development and creativity. In this article, the author describes how…

Facing difficulties in the implementation of its "standards" agenda, the English government has recently introduced a set of policy strategies and initiatives which seek to promote enjoyment, innovation and creativity in education. One such initiative is Creative Partnerships (CP). Funded predominantly from the Arts portfolio, CP brings…