Options
Polytechnic students' perceptions of successful lecturers' creativity fostering behaviours
Author
Leong-Wee, Helene Kwee Huay
Supervisor
Tan, Ai-Girl
Abstract
This dissertation aims to find out polytechnic students' perceptions of the creativity fostering behaviours of successful lecturers. It reports the use of a 45-item student-rating questionnaire based on nine creativity fostering behaviours developed by Soh (2000) and adapted for this study. The questionnaire was administered to 527 students from three different fields of study, Built Environment and Design (BE), Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (ME), and Chemical and Life Sciences (CLS).
The results show that, from the students' perspective, successful lecturers very often motivated their students, took their students' suggestions and questions seriously and very often fostered co-operation and social integration. However, the successful lecturers did not often promote self-evaluation or encourage students to learn independently. Analysis of the data using t-test and ANOVA was carried out to determine differences in students' perceptions according to gender, field of study and year of study. The students' definitions of creativity and the successful lecturers' perceptions of creativity were also analysed and their implications for the nurturing creativity in the classroom discussed.
The findings of the study suggest that a more holistic approach, which includes nurturing both the creative competence as well as the creative spirit, needs to be adopted in the polytechnic. Lecturers will need to be equipped with the skills and techniques to design activities and lessons that nurture creativity in a holistic manner in their teaching.
The results show that, from the students' perspective, successful lecturers very often motivated their students, took their students' suggestions and questions seriously and very often fostered co-operation and social integration. However, the successful lecturers did not often promote self-evaluation or encourage students to learn independently. Analysis of the data using t-test and ANOVA was carried out to determine differences in students' perceptions according to gender, field of study and year of study. The students' definitions of creativity and the successful lecturers' perceptions of creativity were also analysed and their implications for the nurturing creativity in the classroom discussed.
The findings of the study suggest that a more holistic approach, which includes nurturing both the creative competence as well as the creative spirit, needs to be adopted in the polytechnic. Lecturers will need to be equipped with the skills and techniques to design activities and lessons that nurture creativity in a holistic manner in their teaching.
Date Issued
2005
Call Number
LB2331 Leo
Date Submitted
2005