Yes, I believe that creativity can not only be encouraged at school and home, but it can also be taught. I have taught my students to be more creative. 

Creativity is important. You might be interested in innovation pedagogy.

Dear Vladimiras,

The answer is absolutely yes. In addition, here are some useful links.

Regards

SM Najim

https://bvsd.org/tag/Documents/TEAs/Creativity%20for%2021st%20Century%20Skills%20by%20Piirto.pdf

http://www.fpspi.org/pdf/innovcreativity.pdf

http://education.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1105881/alter-paper.pdf

http://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1167&context=creativeprojects

Most definitely! Here's a link as to have the Creative Fluency can be developed and taught in the curriculum:

https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies/creativity-fluency

Best regards,

Debra

How exactly do you suggest creativity should be taught? I believe it should definitely be explored and once noticed that students possess it, teachers should encourage students to both use it in their studies and develop it. Howewer, deliberate instruction in it seems to me a bit strange to structure, as creativity is a natural ability and people possess it in different degree,  that is, some are more creative than others. Besides, some people can show creativity in one area, and others in other. 

Creativity needs imagination, they can't be separated. It also needs invitation not an enforced approach. The more imagination is stripped from school curricula by a culture of testing, by a predominance of skills teaching, by lazy teaching that only builds from textbooks, worksheets and same-old-same teaching, the more imagination is lost in the educational climate as a foundation for creativity. I have just done a PhD on imagination and this is my considered conclusion from careful research, it is not mere opinion. I agree therefore with the contributor above; it is contrary to the nature of creativity to deliberately instruct in it per se. I don't agree creativity is 'natural' to some and not to others: if that's so it can only be genetic - no cultural contribution and that is contrary to learning theory. Yours sincerely, Linda.  

I always begin prompting students to be creative, especially in my public policy analysis class, by reminding them about Einstein's advice that creativity requires "combinatory thought".  He was able to reach into disparate dimensions (literally) and develop his theories.  Search the web or your own favorite portal to the literature for combinatory thought and you may travel to new places with your students.  My other recent favorite is recommending Leavitt and Dubner's Think Like a Freak. 

I am not convinced that creativity can be taught, although I have not honestly done a lit review to see what is out there,  but it certainly can be stifled. Art, Music and Theater have been removed from so many public schools and conformity to rules is the manner of the day in those same schools. Free expression takes time, so very often the classroom doesn't find a place for it either. Creative growth will occur when learners are given the opportunity to express themselves freely and often. Prompts are great beginnings to the creative process and can drive the theme. Use prompts to open up thoughts toward a learning objective and then let it go. Positive and supportive feedback ( to improve, but not stifle) can result in some amazing projects.

As some other contributors have suggested; I think it is less about teaching creativity and more about not stifling it.  The curriculum is already stuffed with so much that it is difficult for learners to allow themselves to be creative... They are far too busy 'ticking boxes' and preparing for assessments. It may seem a utopian concept but if our focus was in the process of education, rather than the product, we might find that a love of learning encouraged creativity.  

I taught Design and Technology in a school and it mainly consisted of giving the students a task and then waiting to see what they came up with. I only suggested solutions to problems they couldn't solve but everything else was their's. Generally I believe everyone is creative you only need to give them a start and then stand back.

All learning is creative! Creativity flowers when it is part of every learning experience.The learner is constantly creating new connections in their mind/ brain, and these are the result of the complex interaction between their current knowledge, their understanding of connections between ideas and experiences, their experiences, and their current ability to make further connections.

A good teacher tries to nurture the creativity in every child, by building an environment where their natural curiosity links to emotional and cultural safety, and to experiences that give opportunities for exploration and new understanding. The teacher provides information, as and when that is needed, and opportunities to practice the understanding and knowledge that is developing. The more unusual the new connections, the more we call it 'creativity', but all learning is creative for the learner.

Creativity can only be taught or enhanced in a school atmosphere that is flexible and supports heterogeneity of thought. Only flexible teachers who are not totally committed to routine "one pedagogy for all" can understand the need for creativity and encourage creative thought and learning by students. Only those teachers who are prepared to allow their students leeway in learning styles and formats are able to enhance creativity. Thus creativity is a cognitive skill that can be enhanced but only by schools and teachers able to maintain flexibility and not committed to the rigidity of following a planned and highly regulated curriculum.

The late Prof. Avner Ziv defined creativity as materializing one's  giftedness. A teacher cannot teach creativity, he or she can help students to materialize it. However, very often teachers "help" their students become conformists, and conformity is one of creativity's worst enemies.

I suggest you read my article: 

David, H. (2016). A glimpse into my clinic: The “Associations Game” as part of a dynamic diagnosis. Torrance Journal of Applied Creativity, 1, 174-180.

in ACADEMIA or RESEARCHGATE.

I am in the camp that agrees creativity can be cultivated. I use this verb rather than ‘taught’, because cultivated implies that developing creativity is more about the climate you create in the classroom, how you develop learners’ skills to support thinking creatively, how much time you allow for learners to improve their work, and how you reward learners when they exhibit creativity, rather than a one-off lesson on creative thinking.  Our research team has been investigating the development and assessment of the disposition of creativity for some years, please see examples of our work undertaken on behalf of the OECD:

Current project: Cultivating and assessing capabilities for success in life, work and education

https://www.researchgate.net/project/Cultivating-and-assessing-capabilities-for-success-in-life-work-and-education

Publications:

 Lucas, B. (2016) A Five Dimensional Model of Creativity and its Assessment in Schools. Applied Measurement in Education 29(4) · July 2016. DOI: 10.1080/08957347.2016.1209206

Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305218451_A_Five_Dimensional_Model_of_Creativity_and_its_Assessment_in_Schools

Lucas, B., Claxton, G.  &  Spencer, E. M.  ( 2014) Progression in student creativity in school: first steps towards new forms of formative assessments. Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice 6(2):81–121.  Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280574042_PROGRESSION_IN_STUDENT_CREATIVITY_IN_SCHOOL_FIRST_STEPS_TOWARDS_NEW_FORMS_OF_FORMATIVE_ASSESSMENTS

Article A Five Dimensional Model of Creativity and its Assessment in Schools

Article PROGRESSION IN STUDENT CREATIVITY IN SCHOOL: FIRST STEPS TOW...

Yes. I think creativity is essential and needs to be encouraged among both learners and facilitators of learning at all levels of education. My idea of creativity is taking and using pre-existing knowledge or material and refashioning it with a tinge of one's own imagination and bringing forth an entirely new product; such as can be recgnized by both critics and admirers as a new invention; such that contributes something new to the existing body of knowledge or inventions. Imagination and inspiration are twin companions to creativity. From experience, what works best is rewarding originality and creativity through the kind of grades/marks awarded and promotions/incentives for faculty /staff.

Dear Colleagues, Thank you very much for participating in the discussion. Herewith I would like to invite you to the Constructionism 2018 conference http://www.constructionism2018.fsf.vu.lt/. There is a possibility to join a working group http://www.constructionism2018.fsf.vu.lt/working-groups/

or to suggest (establish) your own group for collaborative research. We will provide you any possible support. Best Regards, VILNIUS UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF DATA SCIENCE AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, Education Systems Group team.

Los hiperactivos estan dotados del poder de la imaginacion. Nada les distrae. Y solo ellos pueden comprender sus inventos. Pero Edison se acabo convirtiendo en lo que mas odiaba. Un terco que decia que la corriente alterna era inviable. Cuando hice mi Trabajo final de grado en la universidad politecnica de valencia, nadie del tribunal podia comprender mi trabajo, y me pusieron muchas escusas para bajarme la nota. La vida de un genio es humillante, la depresion solo llega cuando dejas de imaginar.

In addition to my answer to this question (2 years ago), I would like to add that the teaching of computational thinking (some call it algorithmic thinking) can enhance creativity and especially problem-solving thinking of students. There is a move to include computational thinking in the mandatory core curricula of countries where the issue of promotion of creativity and problem-solving thinking of students is considered to be of paramount importance in the instructional and learning processes.

Following are two references to papers that focus on comptational thinking:

Webb, M.E., Davis, N., Bell, T., Katz, Y.J., Reynolds, N., Chambers, D.P. & Syslo, M.M. (2016) Computer science in K-12 school curricula of the 2lst century: why, what and when? Education and Information Technologies, 22(2), 445-468.

Webb, M.E., Bell, T., Davis, N., Katz, Y.J., Fluck, A., Syslo, M.M., Kalas, I., Cox, M., Angeli-Valanides, C., Malyn‐Smith, J., Brinda, T., Micheuz, P. & Brodnik, A. (2018) Tensions in specifying Computing Curricula for K-12: Towards a principled approach for objectives. IT - Information Technology, 60(2), 59-68.

It is necessary to develop students’ creative skills such as leadership, design, planning, evaluating arguments, decision-making, critical thinking and problem solving, but unfortunately our schools neglect the development of these important skills