ABSTRACT
Many questions have been asked about creativity, but two of the most frequent ones are, how do we define creativity, and, can it be taught? More progress has been made on the first question than the second. The advances in knowledge about creativity have included a recognition that complete unanimity in defining it is neither possible nor necessary, due to an increased acceptance that a fundamental aspect of creativity is about judgement. Identifying creativity requires a judgement to be made by those who are appropriately qualified to do so. Qualification to judge creativity varies according to the nature of creativity to be judged. People qualified to judge everyday creativity are different from those qualified to judge exceptional creativity. For example, a teacher may be well qualified to judge pupils’ creativity, whereas people with a high level of knowledge about art are more appropriately qualified to judge the historical contribution of someone like Tracey Emin to the discipline of art. Judgements about exceptional creativity generally
Creativity is increasingly recognised as an important part of educational curricula and of high value to society. There are many who regard creativity to be a unique emphasis within curricula in the UK. This, in part, may be attributed to some of the trends outlined in Chapter 2 on the history of primary education.
