Comparison of German and Japanese student teachers' views on creativity in chemistry class

Abstract

Creativity has become an increasingly important skill in today's rapidly changing times, as industries and economies depend upon innovation. It is therefore a requirement for school graduates, especially those who strive towards a technical or scientific career. However creativity has not been integrated into curricula of STEM subjects in many European countries including Germany. To successfully incorporate it in the classroom, it is important to investigate teachers' and student teachers' attitudes towards creativity, as they influence teaching and lesson planning. In cooperation with Kagoshima University, Japan, the possibility to investigate Japanese student teachers' conceptions of creativity and compare them with those of their German colleagues became available. This is of special interest as many differences exist between Germany and Japanese, such as the culture, society and educational system as well as different rankings in PISA and TIMSS. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate, compare and analyse the concepts and views of German and Japanese student teachers. To achieve this, a research instrument, including the creation of concept maps and a questionnaire have been used. In the evaluation of the data, an extensive qualitative analysis of the propositions in the concept maps and statements in the questionnaire were made. These were supported by structural and quantitative analysis. The results show that almost all the student teachers in this study had a positive attitude towards creativity, but there were differences in the understanding and implementation of creativity in the classroom.