Exploring creative pedagogical practices in secondary visual arts programmes in Ghana

Abstract

Secondary visual arts education provides learners with opportunities to develop critical thinking, and their creative potential, as part of their personal growth. This development happens when visual arts teachers actively integrate creative pedagogies to target creative thinking in learners. Ghana's 2019 National Pre-tertiary Curriculum Framework has added creativity as one goal for all learners. This research study explores teachers' perceptions and use of creative pedagogies as part of implementing this creativity into their teaching. A multi-site qualitative case study was conducted in government secondary schools within Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, and data were gathered from interviews and participant observations. The 16 cases specifically examined creative pedagogies in practice in the secondary visual arts programme, as the subject of visual arts is commensurate with developing creativity. The study revealed that teachers' pedagogical perceptions of developing creativity do not align with the actual pedagogies they employ, with teachers being observed to emphasise teacher-centred pedagogies. It is suggested that the integration of creative pedagogies should be contextualised in Ghana's secondary visual arts programme, in order to support teachers to meet the goal of creativity development for all learners.