Creativity is nebulous to understand and problematic to nurture. Despite the fact that creativity is frequently observed in a range of contexts, being creative—or producing something that is deemed creative—is often very challenging for pupils. Moreover, what constitutes ‘creative’ is neither fixed nor similar between contexts. This presentation reports on the design and execution of a focused pedagogical learning and teaching strategy that enhanced the creativity of pupils when developing sketch-based ideas in response to a brief. The pupils (13-14 years old) were undertaking a design and make project in the technology department of a Scottish secondary school. The presentation explores how creativity can usefully be conceptualised for design and technology education. It explores cognitive and meta-cognitive aspects of associated pupil learning and considers way of mitigating challenge based upon the analysis of pupil mark-making. A very stark before and after case is presented that demonstrates the differences in pupil outcomes that can be achieved by altering the pedagogical approach in view of research selected evidence.

1. The Power of Research-Based
Pedagogy: Increasing Pupils’
Creativity
Dr David Morrison-Love (@dmorrisonlove)
BTechEd (hons) PhD
Click for: Profile LinkedIn ResearchGate
10th July, 2013
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2. Overview
• Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
• Creativity’s Mitigating Factors (for Pupils)
• Context of Case Study
• Visualisation of Lesson
• Evidence of Mitigating Factors in Pupil Work
• Questions
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3. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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4. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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5. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
Originality, Novelty, Uniqueness...
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Besemer & Treffinger (1981)

6. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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7. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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8. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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Cziksentmihalyi (1998)

9. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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10. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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11. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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MacKinnon (2005)

12. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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13. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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14. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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Runco (2007) ; Besemer & Treffinger (1981)

15. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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16. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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17. Conceptualising Creativity for the Classroom
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Feldman, Csikszentmihalyi & Gardner (1994)

18. Creativity – Mitigating Factors
Pupils can find it very challenging to act
‘creatively’ when generating design ideas.
What are the issues?
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19. Creativity – Mitigating Factors
• Fixed & growth mind sets.
• Premature development of a mental image of a
‘solution’ & Cognitive Fixation.
• Insufficient neurological development to allow for
genuine synthesis to take place (Apx. 17 yrs of
age for most – Runco, 2007).
• Normative thinking in the face of high levels of
cognitive demand > accessing cultural
knowledge to satisfy external expectations.
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20. Creativity – Mitigating Factors
Can these mitigating factors be successfully
tempered through a focused pedagogical
intervention?
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21. Creativity – Mitigating Factors (Pre-Intervention)
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22. Creativity – Mitigating Factors (Post-Intervention)
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23. Context of Case Study
• Where: Technology Department of Braes High
School (Falkirk, Scotland)
• What: Re-development of an Design & Make
Project (ACfE: Broad General Education)
• Why: To enhance creativity during idea
generation & incorporate CAM
• Who: S2 Pupils, 12 classes of 20, apx. 13 years
old
HOW WAS THIS DONE?
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24. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
VISUALISATION OF LESSON
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25. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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• On entry to the room > paper > design a clock.
• Keep this design confidential.
• Fold and place at top of desk when complete.
• 3 Minutes.
• Pupils told to make sure nobody opens the
envelope.

26. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
Challenge:
By the end of this lesson, your class must be
significantly more creative than it was at the start.
Success Criteria:
The last designs produced by class members will
be unique and unlike things we (as a class) have
seen before.
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27. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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28. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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29. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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30. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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31. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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32. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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33. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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34. Mind Set | Fixation | Synthesis | Cultural Knowledge
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How many of you have
seen shelves like this
before?
(Class response = 0)
Have I met the outcome for
creativity?
(Class response = Yes)

35. Pupil Activity….
• Pupils repeat this process using same concepts
to design a photo frame (individually).
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• Final designs (kept secret) are folded and placed
next to the initial clock designs.
• Clock designs opened out – silent tour of work.
• Photo frame designs opened out – silent tour of
work.

36. Lesson Outcome
• Pupils’ photo frame designs had significantly more
variation between them and were far more
unique/original that the initial clock designs.
• Pupils decided that, as a class, they had met the
challenge (i.e. were significantly more creative).
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• What about the envelope?

37. THE WORK OF A SINGLE PUPIL
(A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE)
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38. Evidence of Mitigating Factors (Single Pupil)
• There is often evidence of cognitive demand and
fixation within pupils’ work
• This can (and should) be used as a basis for
critical discussion between the teacher and pupil
about the developing ideas and associated
process.
CLOCK DESIGN EXAMPLE
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Early Attempt
Cultural Knowledge

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• Found it challenging
very early on in the
process.
• Resorted to
cultural/accessible
knowledge to satisfy
task requirements.
• Is a member of the
local youth boxing
team.

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43. Faculty of Education
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Braes High School
Logo on the left
shoulder of his
sweatshirt.

44. Any Questions?
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45. Sources
NATURE OF CREATIVITY
• Besemer, S. P. & Treffinger, D. J, ‘Analysis of creative products: review and synthesis’ in The Journal of Creative
Behavior, vol.15, no.3, 1981, pages 158-77.
• Cziksentmihalyi, M, ‘Society, culture and person: a systems view of creativity’ in R.J. Sternberg (ed) The nature of
creativity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1998, pages 325-339.
• Feldman, D.H., Csikszentmihalyi, M. and Gardner, H. (1994). A framework for the study of creativity. Changing the
world. A framework for the study of creativity, pp.1–45.
• MacKinnon, D. W. (2005). IPAR's Contributions to the Conceptualization and Study of Creativity. Perspectives in
Creativity. Taylor, I. A. & Getzels, J. W. (Eds.). Chicago, IL: Aldine Publishing Company.
• Runco, M.A. (2007). Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice. Academic Press.
MIDSET, COGNITIVE FIXATION & KNOWLEDGE
• Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc.
• Jansson, D.G. and Smith, S.M. (1991). Design fixation. Design Studies, 12(1), pp.3–11.
• McLellan, R. and Nicholl, B. (2011). ‘If I was going to design a chair, the last thing I would look at is a chair’: product
analysis and the causes of fixation in students’ design work 11–16 years. International Journal of Technology and
Design Education, 21(1), pp.71–92.
• Purcell, A.T. and Gero, J.S. (1996). Design and other types of fixation. Design Studies, 17(4), pp.363–383.
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46. Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following people:
Mrs. Helen McCulloch, Head Teacher of Braes High School, Falkirk, for
permitting this case study, and the examples of pupil work herein, to be
presented at this conference.
Mr. T. McKinlay, Faculty Head of Design. Engineering & Technology at Braes
High School, and his staff for supporting and contributing to this development
work.
Professor Kay Livingston for her feedback on my proposal/abstract.
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47. Dr David Morrison-Love
I was a practicing teacher of Technology Education for nine years before taking
up the post of Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. I
am a member of the Curriculum, Assessment & Pedagogy Research & Teaching
Group and was recently awarded by PhD entitled: ‘Secondary School
Technological Problem Solving: An Investigation of Factors Associated with
Levels of Success. My current research interests lie in cognition during practical
tasks, learning contexts and the design of associated pedagogy. I am always
happy to hear from people with similar research interests and ideas.
david.morrison-love@glasgow.ac.uk
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmorrisonlove
www.dmorrisonlove.net
0141 330 3096
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