ABSTRACT
In the current era, creativity and associated capacities are highly regarded as a life capability, both for the individual and society (Bentley 1998). The case for fostering creativity is made at the level of the individual (Craft 2002) and also for society, by commentators (e.g. Seltzer and Bentley 1999; Handy 2001) and by policy makers (e.g. NACCCE 1999; NESTA 2003). But it is common to find slippage between these words, with consequences
for what is then valued in any applied context, including education. This chapter examines two separate sets of terms: first, some which might be described as ‘core’, in other words ‘innovation’, ‘creativity’, and ‘imagination’; second, some terms situated in the context of education, in other words, creative teaching, teaching for creativity and creative learning. Finally, it considers some implications of the terms and the slippage between them for pedagogy. The analysis draws on literature and values found predominantly in
northern Europe and North America, which means that the conclusions drawn may have elements of cultural specificity embedded within them; some issues related to creativity and cultural specificity will be explored in Chapter 7.
