STUDY OF TEACHERS’ AND SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ AWARENESS AND PRACTICES IN FOSTERING CHILDREN CREATIVITY.

In order to cope up with fast changing world, creativity development from early life is essential. Thus, primary school teachers are required to foster children ability in discovery, solving problems, being creative in writing, art, music, developing their self-confidence as learners and maturing socially and emotionally. In establishing classroom and school environment conducive to creative thinking of children, teachers and school principals have great roles and responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ and school principals’ awareness and practice in fostering children creativity. A total of 54 samples (45 teachers, 3 principals, 3 vice principals, and 3 supervisors) were selected from Debre Tabor Town elementary school teachers, principals, vice principals, and supervisors (281, 7, 4, and 4 respectively). Stage random sampling technique was used to select samples from the population. Data were collected through questionnaire, observations and focus group discussion. Results revealed that the level of teachers’, Principals’ and supervisors’ awareness of characteristics of creative person such as tendency to practice with alternative solutions, synthetic ability, insight ability, sensitivity to problems, tolerance of anxiety, passionate involvement in tasks, affective pleasure in challenge, tolerance of ambiguity, risk taking, openness to experience, unconventional values, curiosity, preference for challenges and complexity, and independence of judgment was below the average. And also regarding their familiarity with statements indicating characteristics of creative person, teachers were more familiar with self- confidence (M=4.98 , S=0.51) and least familiar with tolerance of ambiguity (M=2.65, S=0.79). Under affective processes teachers were more familiar with statements indicating affective fantasy in play (M=4.10` , S=0.66) and least familiar with affective pleasure in challenge (M=2.99, S= 0.61). From cognitive processes, teachers were more familiar with practical contextual ability (M=4.91, S= 0.58) and least familiar with tendency to practice with alternative solutions (M=3.56, S= 0.52). Regarding children creativity, teachers were focused more on the products than processes – missing to consider what is happening in children’s mind. The school observation showed that 33.3% (N =1) of the school has not stored children creative products and 66.7 % (N=2) of the schools have stored some of children products. Inversely, 66.7% (N=2) of the school never used different colors in children creative products and 33.3 % (N=1) of the schools used different colors. The focus group discussion result also showed that, there were lack of materials provision like different color chalk, marker, play materials, charts and the like. In measuring children creativity, teachers have been focused more on product. Teachers had been motivating children more to recall what they have learnt rather than motivating them to communicate their idea, imagination and creative work with other students. Suggestions were made on the ways of promoting teachers awareness and practice in fostering children creativity by organizing training for them, providing required materials and support.