Scientific Research Publishing

Read  full  paper  at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=45293#.VL33kyzQrzE Author(s)    Aikaterini Michalopoulou Affiliation(s) Department of Early Years Education, University of Thessaly, Thessaly, Greece . ABSTRACT Many different skills make up inquiry-based learning for children, and children need many opportunities to develop and use these skills as they progress through the Kindergarten years. Inquiry skills should not be taught in isolation, but integrated into interesting topics and ideas. Children need many opportunities to generate and discuss ideas, make plans, brainstorm solutions to problems, reflect and give reasons for their choices. The aim of the research conducted at kindergartens in Volos, is to explore pre-school age children’s responses, thoughts, ideas and feelings through pictures of art. Our study involved asking children to study paintings and create opportunities for them to expres...

Read  full  paper  at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53214#.VLcp9cnQrzE Author(s)   Valeria Biasi 1* , Paolo Bonaiuto 2 , James M. Levin 3   Affiliation(s) 1 Department of Education, “Roma Tre” University, Rome, Italy . 2 Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy . 3 John Jay College, City University of New York, New York, USA . ABSTRACT An innovative critique of existing studies on creativity has revealed the opportunity of distinguishing between different varieties of creative tasks, and namely creativity for “Continuity”, “Opposition” and “Detachment”, considering relations between products and perceived models. This theoretical contribution has led to a specific evaluation procedure: the COD Creativity test. Considering the influences of dynamic processes on creative processes, it is worth experimentally studying the effects of short-term stress or comfort treatments. The s...

Read full paper at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=51547#.VG2rM2fHRK0 Author(s) Iida Vedenpää , Kirsti Lonka Affiliation(s) Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland . ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore what kinds of conceptions of creativity and learning Finnish teachers and teacher students expressed, and how these conceptions were related to the respondents’ epistemologies (conceptions of knowledge and learning). The participants (n = 89) answered an e-form, consisting of 3 open-ended questions (conceptions of learning, creativity and the connection between the two). In addition, there were 23 two-part Likert-type statements on epi...