Training of creativity: theoretical and practical aspects

Abstract

This article describes theoretical and practical aspects of training creativity. The research was done in in Lithuania in Educational Center for Gifted in Lithuania as well as in Vilnius Pedagogical University. Many programs and courses in creativity have proposed ways of seeking to deliberately stimulate and develop creativity. Differences in the understanding of creativity influence the kind of training strategies applied. Scholars who see problems solving as a central aspect of creativity use techniques based on heuristics. If the main aspect of creativity is associational mechanisms, imagery techniques are suggested. There have been identified a number of general of approaches of creativity training including: cognitive approaches, personality approaches, motivational approaches and social interaction approaches (Scott et al., 2004). The effective programs are those that try to influence different aspects of creativity – cognitive, personality, attitudes, behavior, interpersonal, affect, and environmental. Creativity training, then, can be effective. Sizable effects can be observed using four major criteria applied in evaluating training – divergent thinking, problem – solving, performance, and attitudes-behavior (Scott, et al., 2004). The different techniques of creativity training are also recommended. These techniques were successfully used in the special program of creativity in Lithuania training the creative abilities of Vilnius Pedagogical University students (Grakauskaitė–Karkockienė, 2005, 2006; Karkockienė, Butkienė, 2005). The research was represented in the volume of Science Education, 2006 (Grakauskaite-Karkockiene, 2006).