Saudi High School STEM Teachers’ Understanding and Practices of Creativity in the Classroom

Abstract

Creativity is a fundamental skill that needs to be promoted in order to develop individuals’ economic and social status. Formal education is an appropriate place to enhance creativity. Therefore, international governments and educational administrators have been paying more attention to creativity in the educational context. In contrast, there are many concerns regarding the lack of students' creative thinking. In particular, the Saudi Ministry of education acknowledged that their educational system struggles with a weak environment that hinders creativity. Thus, the Saudi Ministry of Education aims to enhance creativity as one of its main educational goals of the Saudi 2030 vision. This paper aims to assess Saudi high school STEM teachers’ understanding of creativity, as they are a key component for enhancing creativity in the school environment. The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia with nine Saudi high school STEM teachers. The qualitative data collection strategy included semi-structured interviews. The analysis approach was a priori coding based on the review of the theoretical foundations for creativity and innovation in European education. The analysis shows that Saudi high school STEM teachers have various definitions of creativity. Participants valued creative students by providing opportunities and establishing positive relationships with them. Teachers claimed they practiced creativity through instructional practices that engage students’ participation in the learning process. Participants were not satisfied with their professional development or the technical support provided by the Saudi Ministry of Education. The study results suggest further exploration and recommendations that enrich the research area of creativity in STEM education.

Keywords

• Creativity
• Education
• Teachers
• Saudi Arabia
• STEM.