Creative Constructions Thesis - SQA Summary June23

Citation

Schuler B Creative Constructions Thesis - SQA Summary June23. Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Abstract
This report is a policy-focused summary of the PhD thesis “Creative constructions: Notions of creativity, and their place in ‘high-stakes assessment'". The PhD was funded by an SGSSS collaborative award, co-funded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, from 2017-2022. The research drew on the work of Deleuze and Guattari to present a new understanding of the relationship between creativity and assessment in the context of Scottish education. It asked whether the summative assessment of creativity is possible, meaningful and desirable, and explored this through consideration of what creativity is (or is deemed to be), and what assessment is for (or is perceived to be for). The thesis articulates the case for assessment for creativity, rather than assessment of creativity. It proposes seven pedagogical principles which aim to encourage students’ creative endeavours while at the same time resisting the dominant policy construction of creativity as a generic workplace skill. The principles were constructed from an empirical study into creativity and summative assessment in the context of Scottish secondary education. This involved a qualitative exploration with 19 teachers from six secondary schools. Two local authority officers were also interviewed, and focus groups were held with seven education practitioners. The research also mapped the manoeuvrings of the “creativity movement” across the global territory of public education.

Keywords
creativity; assessment; Scottish education; education policy

People

Dr Barbara Schuler

Research Assistant, Education