Creative education in curriculum, the basis for knowledge production in education systems
D.r Seyed Ahmad Hashemi
PhD, Lamerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran Hmd_hashemi@yahoo.com
Abolfazl Abbasi
M.A Student Educational Administration shiraz university, Iran
Fateme Firouz Komishani
M.A Student Curriculum Allame Tbatbaee university, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Humans are the most effective factor of qualitative improvement of organizations and institutions; if they are equipped with knowledge and fertile thinking, they will play their role better. To reach this goal, we need a system that is based on a creative and efficient approach. A system that can educate human sources with the power of thinking and knowledge-production. Using traditional teaching methods, emphasizing too much on absolute knowledge without paying attention to educating creativity have caused us not to be able to produce knowledge to be synchronized with modern world. This article will investigate the concept of education, system and the qualities of creative education and the situation for creative education by using descriptive-analytic method, and then, we will have a glance at the approach for solving the problem. In the end, we will investigate “Learning method” which is reflecting individual differences of learners.
Keywords: Education, creative education, knowledge, knowledge production, creativity
Introduction
Bertrand Russell (1920) quoted an informative point about education. He claimed that education had been facing reality paradox and that was the limitation in the concept of intelligence and lack of attention to the concept of thinking in class. By the end of twentieth century, this remark came to some ideologists’ attention and its accuracy was confirmed (Sarsani, 2006). In fact, most education systems have failed to respond to the real needs of individual and social life, and the threatening distance that exists between education systems’ performance and science and technology’s rapid development has become education’s global crisis.
Silberman (2001) believes that educating humans not only prepares them for life, but also it is an aspect of life that can develop individuals. Therefore, if preparing students for accepting society’s rapid changes is one of education’s long-term goals, then they must be developed open-mindedly, flexibly and capably in order to be able to combine new information. In other words, they must become creative humans.
Chadha (2008) also believes that we need a kind of thinking process in education so as to be able to strike out towards big and rapid changes in all aspects, such as production of knowledge. Therefore, in education, nourishing mind and creative skills are required more than educating individuals for work and norms. Torrance (2005) also believes that creative thinking is a great power in education system because this power granted us alphabet, printing, radio, television, computer, spacecraft, magnificent arts, music, architecture, literature, and significant scientific and medical discoveries and this power will continue in the future with indefinite gifts. So teaching creativity must penetrate in education in a way that it reaches to the highest values of life which is fertility.
Strenberg (2006) maintains that despite the fact that creativity is applied a lot in educational purposes, studies have shown that educational institutions cannot improve creativity.
Nowadays paradigms of work and society need individuals who can adapt to the changes and to be well-informed managers to dominate their progressing environment. Being able to make important decisions is one of the conditions for living and working effectively. Conventionally, teachers have been the main sources of information inside and outside of the class to give advice to the learners. Therefore if we make efforts for creativity and educate ourselves for it, we will be able to exploit it in the future, because creative people can analyze better in complex and changing environment, and then, they will be able to choose the best and become innovators and entrepreneurs.
How to develop creativity for producing knowledge
To develop creativity, various conditions and foundations are at work. Here are the ways we can foster creativity:
1- Creative atmosphere: one of the important ways of innovation is to create a potential atmosphere for creativity. This means that managers and teachers must always be open to hear new ideas from anyone in organizations and classes. In fact, organizations must seek these kinds of ideas and not always stand still for them to be expressed. Applying talent management system is an effective tool in education. Managers can use it to expand the skills of talented individuals correctly.
2- Giving time to creativity: Schools can provide deserved learners with a special office.
3- Creating special creative units: It is essential to consider creativity in designing curriculum for special units.
Allison and Pillary (2000) mention that creative teaching method is necessary for expressing learners’ creativity, but creativity is beyond methods. Creativity is produced by methods.
Ways of developing creativity in education system
1- Developing problem solving in curriculums.
Teachers’ duty is to resuscitate the sense of curiosity in learners. This is the counterpart of traditional education which is responsible to suppress tendency towards learning. To provoke curiosity, a correct and logical relationship must be established between the learner, the teacher and the world and the emphasis is on the world in this process and no other special issues. The more subjects are in details and minor, the more creativity will be destroyed (Allison and Pillary, 2000).
In this case, Aristotle believes in three principles in education:
-First: paying attention to the nature and the world of experience.
-Second: dominating illogical deeds (good habits).
-Third: nourishing wisdom.
Many ideologists (Annare, 1999, Zimmerman, 2006, Behgtto, 2006, Dolan & Metcalfe, 2008) believe that the time has come to move from conservatism toward thinking and choose a solution to the problems. This kind of education has creativity in its nature and changes along with other new changes and brings diversity and creativeness essence to the world of students.
In other words, teaching must be the matter. The approaches to problem solving, before it turns an individual into a problem-solver, they must turn him or her into a seeker for problem and finally, he or she becomes a producer of knowledge. However, decision making, critical thinking, and creative thinking are the phases of the strategies of thinking (Petrson & Joergrer, 2004).
2- Encouraging teachers’ creativity in performing curriculum
It seems that encouraging innovative teachers leaves behind all educational traditional methods which are not in consistency with creative-developing thoughts. If we are supposed to develop “new minds for this new era”, we should take teachers, opinions, and the decisions of creative learners into consideration and support them (Morris and Hammonds, 2002). As Morris and Hammond quoted in this regard, Frank Mc. Court says that “ask your teachers for changing; they are in the front line; forget about state authorities, bureaucrats and statistical experts; ask teachers for it, they know better their classroom scenario; these stories are better than statistics and exams.”
3- Developing learner-oriented learning
Renzulli et al (2003) believe that learner-oriented learning is based on inductive approach and gives chance to the learners to apply and develop their learnt skills which are based on deductive learning models. Putting away deductive method is not intended, but the aim is to make balance between these two methods.
Learner-oriented learning is important from the viewpoint that the cultural and economic development of societies depends on the infinitive treasures efficient and creative people which are educated in this approach. Human sources give importance and validity to the society that produces creative people who produce knowledge. Educational centers have long been following the standard and dictated programs ordered from the bureaucratic system which have no roles in changing or reforming education system.
4- Attention to learners’ psychological problems
Another solution is to pay attention to learners’ psychological problems, especially confidence. According to Davies (2000) research, there is a strong link between confidence and academic success, creative learning and teaching. If somebody is told he or she is creative, he or she probably likes to make more efforts. According to this result, it is difficult for teachers to make balance between teaching skills and developing creativity.
An important note is that when teachers make their students aware of their creativity, they enjoy and they are satisfied and this is the greatest reward for them.
5- Accordance among curriculum executors
A learner can be a creative person when three factors work together in one direction; learners, teachers, and parents. Programs and objectives of these three elements must not disable the other. Michel Fullan calls this process “Triple powers” (Morris and Hammonds, 2002). Accordingly, it is necessary to accord education system, curriculum and society (parents).
The industrial age is coming to an end. Now we need new thoughts that are required for what is called the age of ideas and imaginations. For this era, we need new minds and creativity is the basis which we must pay attention to.
Conclusion
In this fast-changing world, motionlessness and lack of creative thinking is doom to failure. In fact, century is passing and. Century is a move from failed educational methods to creative-producing approaches. Knowledge production is required, and more than scientific methods, and educational bottlenecks must be recognized and analyzed well in order to find solutions. Education system is the basis for every revolution in a human society and developing in every dimension depends on this system; therefore, developing teaching creativity will lay the foundation for improvement and effectiveness of this system. Creativity and creative education enhance development and provide new capabilities, facilities and opportunities for stimulating activities and fertile thinking.
We all have experienced traditional methods of school and academic education. The time has come to divert learners’ minds to thinking, criticism and question. We must turn them into this habit. In this world, transferring information has no scientific value. What is important and valuable is the increase in scientific potential and the power of compatibility in order to fight external problems. The key to success in this regard is to give value to the learners and creative productions. Those who do not like monotony and apply criticizing thought and methods of solving problems achieve more success in teaching others.
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موضوع: مقالات چاپ شده در مجلات خارجي ISC
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تاريخ: 13 مرداد 1393
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