Impact of Creative Learning on Student Wellbeing

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Impact of CreativeLearning on Student Wellbeing

• Maurice Galton
• Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge

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The Nature of Wellbeing

• In the literature wellbeing often used
  interchangeably with terms such as happiness,
  life satisfaction and has been equated with
  factors such asfamily relationships, financial
  status, health, friendships, status in the local
  community, personal freedom.
• Two broad categories
• Hedonic (subjective) wellbeing
• That which makes people feel good and life
  pleasurable (feelings)
• Eudaimonic wellbeing
• Living a pleasant, good and meaningful life in
  ways that promote high levels of positive emotion
  and gratification (functioning)

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The Test-Score/Interest Paradox
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Culture and self-concept?
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Wellbeing Motivation Self-Determination Theory
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic Motivation
Well-being
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Interpersonal Climate

• Autonomy support involves one individual (often
  an authority figure) relating to target
  individuals by taking their perspective,
  encouraging initiation, supporting a sense of
  choice, and being responsive to their thoughts,
  questions and initiatives
• Deci Ryan (2008)

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Contexts undermining Intrinsic Motivation
Autonomy
Autonomy
Rewards Threats of punishment Surveillance Pressur
ised evaluation Deadlines Imposed goals
Choice Acknowledgement of feelings Opportunities
for self-direction
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Creative Partnerships
Fostering long term partnerships between schools
and creative partners. More than 5000 schools and
Over 1 million young people have participated
since its inception in 2002 until its demise in
2012
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• Schools apply to be in the programme.
• They identify an issue in the School
  Improvement Plan
• CP allocate a Creative agent
• They identify and implement a programme

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Give the pupils more responsibility in their
learning A primary school example
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Theresa Amabile (1996)

• Social factors can impinge upon creativity,
  particularly through motivationthese are more
  readily changed than other factors such as
  personality traits / cognitive ability

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Amabile
C
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Creative Climate Ekvall et al.(2000)
Time For ideas
Risk- taking
Trust Openness
Play Humour
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Wellbeing, motivation and Creative Learning
Creative Learning
Strong pupil voice Cross curriculum Learning
community Informal pedagogies
Improved self- esteem Improved self-efficacy Sense
of autonomy Willingness to take risks
Flexible curriculum Positive feedback Elements of
choice Behaviour management
Intrinsic motivation
Feelings of wellbeing in Health School
Enjoyment Relationships etc.
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The primary phase research design

• January- March 201120 schools given a
  questionnaire and received a preliminary visit
• 10 primary CP schools nominated by local area
  officers
• Questionnaire given to Y3 and Y6
• 10 primary non CP schools matched for LEA/size/
  catchment area/ pupil diversity
• Interviews with Senior Management/CP coordinators
  etc about strategies for promoting creative
  learning/links with wellbeing
• May July 2011 Case Studies
• 6 two day case studies (class tracking,
  interviews) selection based on questionnaire
  results (3 CP and 3 non CP primary schools with
  highest wellbeing scores) and summary
  impressionistic accounts of initial visit.

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Survey Findings Wellbeing Scores

• We found 4 main dimensions for wellbeing
• Interpersonal (feeling lonely, safe, part of
  things, cared for and happy)
• Life satisfaction (feeling enthusiastic,
  energetic, theres a lot to look forward to,
  feeling bored reversed score)
• Perceived competence (able to cope with
  challenges, being successful, confident)
• Negative Emotions (being stressed, miserable)

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Wellbeing Scores Home v School
Item Inside school Outside school Effect size
Things are fun Things are fun 2.90 4.10 large
Cared for Cared for 3.31 4.35 large
Lots to look forward to Lots to look forward to 3.00 4.00 large
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Wellbeing Scores Home v School
Item Inside school Outside school Effect size
Stressed Stressed 3.07 2.53 small
Everything is an effort Everything is an effort 3.19 2.98 trivial
Lonely Lonely 2.00 1.90 trivial
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School Mean Wellbeing Scores for Year 3
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School Mean Wellbeing Scores for Year 6
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PRIMARY SCHOOL CASE STUDIES

• CP schools encouraged pupils to make choices, to
  take risks, face challenges and given space to
  think share ideas with others etc.
• Pupils gained confidence because they succeeded
  without too much help and reacted better towards
  teachers and peers (functional wellbeing)

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PRIMARY SCHOOL CASE STUDIES

• Non CP schools tended to promote hedonic
  wellbeing by organising activities, devising
  procedures/rules etc. designed to ensure pupils
  felt safe, were not lonely, kept healthy etc.
• This approach tended not to promote functional
  wellbeing

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Some Examples

• Good walking in the corridors (hands behind back,
  lips together, straight line, walk on left)
• Use of pupil playground monitors, to draw pupils
  sitting by themselves into conversation, games
  etc.
• Much emphasis on building confidence through
  public approval of work and good behaviour. Use
  of extrinsic motivators such as golden time etc.,
  to encourage good work practices and behaviour.

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What makes a good day?

• We asked pupils what things happened at school
  which made them go home and tell their parents,
  Ive had a great day at school.
• All put not falling out with friends first but
  then

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The Curriculum

• When were doing fun things but were learning.
  Something like art, coos we dont do much of it
  so its something special (Non CP school)
• When its a WOW day when you get a chance to go
  to different classes and meet different
  peopleYou are working but you dont know youre
  working (CP school)

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Teachers

• The teachers, they are really friendly, they
  dont shout at you, they dont make you scared of
  them (CP school)
• I just want them to let me get on with my work.
  I want to do it all by myself. If the teachers
  helping its not our work. (CP school)
• When it comes to literacy he acts normal but
  when its PE hes totally different.. Like hes
  not an adult. I dont think he really enjoys them
  (maths and literacy). He tones it down a little
  which is weird (non CP school)

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Home School Links

• If Ive had a good day at school I dont mind
  doing chores at home
• If youve not had a good school day it doesnt
  seem to get any better at home
• If you go home and maybe youve forgotten to do
  something and you get told off you gone from a
  really good dayand start to feel Your world
  turns upside down

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The impact of performativity

• Even in the CP schools, although teachers
  claimed otherwise, the need to prepare for SATs
  restricted opportunities for pupils to exercise
  choice etc.,

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The impact of performativity?
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After SATs in a CP school

• After SATs is like an after SATs relaxation
• The teachers dont let us do proper lessons
• Its not as worrying. When youre doing your SATs
  you worry a lot dont you?
• When its SATs they were just like, Youve got
  to revise, Youve got to revise.
• Its basically no hard work, no homework,
  basically relaxation. In the last six weeks
  before SATs it was proper hard workGet your
  head down and work.

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A SPLIT PERSONALITY!

• Mrs G helps Davina, a former actor, with the
  Drama club in a non CP school. At interview she
  speaks positively about the Davinas influence on
  pupils confidence, and general wellbeing.
• Interviewer Do you bring these ideas into your
  teaching?
• Mrs G In some things. We do drama in History.
• Interviewer What about Maths and English?
• Mrs G No. Never.
• Interviewer How does that make you feel?
• Mrs G Like someone with a split personality.

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Some Contrasts

• In CP schools relied on building a sense of
  community by promoting interdependent
  relationships (between teachers and students and
  between peers). There was less supervision of
  play areas, less rules, and less use of extrinsic
  rewards and sanctions.
• In CP schools there was a greater shared vision
  about teaching and learning
• In CP schools there was greater emphasis on pupil
  voice. School Councils did more than discuss
  environmental issues (e.g. litter, dirty
  lavatories etc.)
• Other schools regarded literacy and numeracy as
  outside the effort to promote a more enjoyable,
  more meaningful and active curriculum whereas CP
  schools tended to integrate activities across the
  whole curriculum except for Year 6 during the run
  up to SATs

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References

• Amabile, T. (1996) Creativity in Context,
  Boulder, Colorado West View Press.
• Deci, E. and Ryan, M. (2008) Hedonia, Eudaimonia,
  and wellbeing An introduction, Journal of
  Happiness Studies, 9 (1) 1-11.
• Ekvall, G., Isaksen, S.G., Lauer, K.L. Britz,
  A. (2000) Perceptions of the best and worst
  climates for creativity. Creativity Research
  Journal. 13 (2) 171-184.
• McLellan, R., Galton, M., Steward, S. and Page,
  C. (2012) The Impact of Creative Partnerships on
  the Wellbeing of Children and Young People, Final
  Report to Creativity, Culture and Education
  (CCE), University of Cambridge Faculty of
  Education (also on CCE website)