Science teachers’ perceptions of creative thinking as a general capability in the Australian Curriculum

Critical and creative thinking is one of seven general capabilities that the Australian
Curriculum asks all teachers to foster to “enable students to live and work successfully in
the 21st century”. However, while science teachers generally feel confident in developing
critical thinking in students, they are less sure about what creative thinking in science looks
like and how to encourage it. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews carried out
with 13 science teachers in three Australian states revealed a wide variety of views about
what creativity looks like in the science classroom. It revealed that some teachers hold
restricted conceptions about what creative thinking in science entails, focusing on project-
based or inquiry learning and communication of assignment responses in unique formats but
not recognising the role of creative thinking in other classroom activities. They identified a
number of barriers to both the teacher and the student in developing creative thinking skills,
the most prominent of which were time limitations, pressure to cover curriculum content
and assessment constraints. This study provides suggestions for supporting teachers in
developing more diverse understandings of creative thinking and indicates some systemic
concerns to address in order to support teachers and students in fostering creative thinking.