Creativity Fostering Teaching: Impact of Creative Self-efficacy and Teacher Efficacy
Nur Cayirdag
International Center for Studies in Creativity, State University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14222 USAAbstract
Teachers who foster creativity of their students bequeath one of the most crucial skills. This study aims to reveal the connection between two teacher-related factors, (i.e., creative self-efficacy and teacher efficacy), and teachers’ creativity fostering behaviors. Teachers’ creative self-efficacy could impact their creative teaching performance because of their natural inclination to be creative and serve as a role model. Teacher efficacy had two aspects: internal and external. Internal aspect of teacher efficacy was expected to relate to their creativity fostering behaviors because teachers have to take initiative and have internal locus of control to teach more creatively under the system-wide constraints. No hypothesis was made for the external factors. Creativity fostering teacher behaviors were regressed on teacher efficacy and creative self- efficacy after controlling demographic variables. As hypothesized, teachers’ self-efficacy and internal aspects of teacher efficacy predicted creativity fostering teacher behaviors whereas external aspect of teacher efficacy was not significant. More experienced teachers seemed to be more teacher-centered than student-centered. Results were discussed in terms of teachers as creative role models and internal locus of control.