Creativity has recently become a focus of attention in the field of education. Researchers underlined the significance of designing ideal conditions to enhance creativity in educational environments. English language teachers have also recognized the role of creativity in language teaching. However, the language teaching curriculum in Turkey does not provide a comprehensive framework for creativity instruction, or strategies to be used to encourage student creativity. Therefore, this study aims to understand EFL teachers’ perceptions of student creativity and find out what effective strategies used by these teachers to promote students’ creative potentials. The factors that facilitate or hinder creativity in EFL classrooms are also identified. 15 EFL teachers who work in a private school in Ankara participated in the study. Data is collected through classroom observations and interviews. The analysis of the data shows that teachers report the use of creativity-fostering behaviours to a high degree, and they utilize active, collaborative, and inclusive teaching strategies to foster creativity. The findings suggest that environmental factors also have a great impact on teachers’ ability to foster student creativity. The school climate, teachers’ schedule, and time constraint are found to be the major factors that influence creativity-fostering teacher behaviours. Implications for practice and research also were discussed. (This study was produced from the Master's Thesis of the author, who is in the first place, at Baþkent University, Institute of Educational Sciences.)
Anahtar Kelimeler: Creativity, EFL, Teacher Behaviours
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