Creative teaching: How it works and how to do it

Abstract

In this paper I offer a research-based framework and practical model of creative teaching that enables teaching/training professionals in any field or educational sector to develop their creative teaching competence. The model has been derived from established research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, and through collaborative research with a wide range of teaching professionals who were observed, video-recorded and interviewed to uncover their underpinning beliefs and strategies regarding teaching and learning. Creative teachers develop their creative competence over time, just like any other form of competence is developed. Those that are most effective develop what can be termed an ‘unconscious creative competence’. In most cases the underpinning methodology or syntax of this competence is tacit and practitioners typically have difficulty making it explicit. However, through the use of certain neuro-linguistic programming techniques, the underpinning syntax of creative teaching was successfully modeled through the research. It can, therefore, be understood and developed by any teaching professional who seeks to attain this competence irrespective of personal teaching style.