Creativity in Japanese and American primary teaching practices.

摘要

This thesis explores creativity as process or product from perspectives of the research and from an educational perspective. The process or product may also be considered cognitively generated or non-cognitively initiated, including emotional or environmental dimensions. Various educational conditions and teaching practices are shown to promote or stifle creativity. The author begins with the hypothesis that cultural imperatives and educational conditions in these Japanese classrooms are more likely to stifle creativity than those in the American classrooms. The empirical data does not significantly support the hypothesis. Japanese teachers have less tolerance for loss of control and student time spent away from teacher-directed tasks. A qualitative analysis reveals that the American teachers attribute lack of time spent promoting creativity to external factors, whereas the Japanese teachers take responsibility for this themselves.