Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Assessing the creativity of scientific explanations in elementary science: an insider-outsider view of intuitive assessment in the hypothesis space

Newton, D.P.

Assessing the creativity of scientific explanations in elementary science: an insider-outsider view of intuitive assessment in the hypothesis space Thumbnail


Authors



Abstract

Assessing creativity is commonly believed to be difficult but there is evidence that an intuitive, holistic assessment is easy and reliable. Given that children can engage in creative activity and teachers are expected to foster it, some assessment of it could aid planning and optimise support. Assessing creativity intuitively and holistically could be a useful, quick way of assessing to inform teaching. A teacher of young children, however, is essentially an outsider in the child's world and often also in the world of science. Judging a child's creativity in this way from a child's point of view may not always be easy or reliable. Here, pre-service elementary teachers in the UK assessed explanations of simple science events. Agreement improved when they assessed some of the attributes of creativity but was still less than expected. Nevertheless, these novices' assessments as a whole showed there was some ability to discriminate usefully between explanations, albeit with considerable variation from teacher to teacher. Some implications for teacher training are described.

Citation

Newton, D. (2010). Assessing the creativity of scientific explanations in elementary science: an insider-outsider view of intuitive assessment in the hypothesis space. Research in Science and Technological Education, 28(3), 187-201. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2010.501752

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Nov 1, 2010
Deposit Date Jul 15, 2010
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Research in Science and Technological Education
Print ISSN 0263-5143
Electronic ISSN 1470-1138
Publisher Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 28
Issue 3
Pages 187-201
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2010.501752
Keywords Primary science, Assessing creativity, Explaining in science.

Files

Accepted Journal Article (231 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
This is an electronic version of an article published in Newton, D.P. (2010) 'Assessing the creativity of scientific explanations in elementary science : an insider-outsider view of intuitive assessment in the hypothesis space.', Research in science & technological education., 28 (3). pp. 187-201. Research in science & technological education is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=0263-5143&volume=28&issue=3&spage=187




You might also like



Downloadable Citations