Impact of CreativeLearning on Student Wellbeing

Maurice Galton

Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge

The Nature of WellbeingIn the literature wellbeing often used interchangeably with terms such as ‘happiness’, ‘life satisfaction’ and has been equated with factors such as: family relationships, financial status, health, friendships, status in the local community, personal freedom.

Two broad categories:

–Hedonic (subjective) wellbeing:

That which makes people feel good and life pleasurable (feelings)

–Eudaimonic wellbeing:

Living a pleasant, good and meaningful life in ways that promote high levels of positive emotion and gratification (functioning)

Creative Climate – Ekvall et al.(2000)TimeFor

ideas

Trust &Openness

Play &

Humour

Challenge

Freedom

Debate

Idea support

Conflict

Climate

Risk-taking

Creative Partnerships

Fostering long term partnerships between schools

and creative partners.More than 5000 schools and Over 1 million young people

have participated since its inception in 2002 until its

demise in 2012

• Schools apply to be in the programme.

• They identify an issue in the School

Improvement Plan

•CP allocate a Creative agent

•They identify and implement a programme

Wellbeing, motivation and Creative Learning

Flexible curriculumPositive feedback

Elements of choiceBehaviour management

Flexible curriculumPositive feedback

Elements of choiceBehaviour management

Improved self- esteemImproved self-efficacy

Sense of autonomyWillingness to take risks

Improved self- esteemImproved self-efficacy

Sense of autonomyWillingness to take risks

Feelings of wellbeing inHealth

School EnjoymentRelationships etc.

Intrinsic motivation

Creative LearningCreative Learning

Strong pupil voiceCross curriculumLearning communityInformal pedagogies

Contexts undermining Intrinsic Motivation

Autonomy

Rewards

Threats of punishment

Surveillance

Pressurised evaluation

Deadlines

Imposed goals

Autonomy

Choice

Acknowledgement of feelings

Opportunities for self-direction

The primary phase research design

• January- March 201120 schools given a questionnaire and received a preliminary visit

– 10 primary CP schools nominated by local area officers– Questionnaire given to Y3 and Y6 – 10 primary non CP schools matched for LEA/size/ catchment

area/ pupil diversity– Interviews with Senior Management/CP coordinators etc about

strategies for promoting creative learning/links with wellbeing

• May – July 2011: Case Studies– 6 two day case studies (class tracking, interviews) selection

based on questionnaire results (3 CP and 3 non CP primary schools with highest wellbeing scores) and summary impressionistic accounts of initial visit.

Survey Findings: Wellbeing Scores

We found 4 main dimensions for wellbeing:

Interpersonal (feeling lonely, safe, part of things, cared for and happy)

Life satisfaction (feeling enthusiastic, energetic, there’s a lot to look forward to, feeling bored [reversed score])

Perceived competence (able to cope with challenges, being successful, confident)

Negative Emotions (being stressed, miserable)

School Mean Wellbeing Scores for Year 3

School Mean Wellbeing Scores for Year 6

PRIMARY SCHOOL CASE STUDIES

CP schools encouraged pupils to make choices, to take risks, face challenges and given space to think share ideas with others etc.

Pupils gained confidence because they succeeded without too much help and reacted better towards teachers and peers (functional wellbeing)

PRIMARY SCHOOL CASE STUDIES

Non CP schools tended to promote hedonic wellbeing by organising activities, devising procedures/rules etc. designed to ensure pupils felt safe, were not lonely, kept healthy etc. This approach tended not to promote functional wellbeing

Some Examples

• Good walking in the corridors (hands behind back, lips together, straight line, walk on left)

• Use of pupil playground monitors, to draw pupils sitting by themselves into conversation, games etc.

• Much emphasis on building confidence through public approval of work and good behaviour. Use of extrinsic motivators such as golden time etc., to encourage good work practices and behaviour.

What makes a good day?

• We asked pupils what things happened at school which made them go home and tell their parents, “I’ve had a great day at school.” All put not falling out with friends first but then…

The Curriculum

• When were doing fun things but we’re learning. Something like art, coos we don’t do much of it so it’s something special (Non CP school)

• When it’s a WOW day when you get a chance to go to different classes and meet different people…You are working but you don’t know you’re working (CP school)

Teachers

• ‘The teachers, they are really friendly, they don’t shout at you, they don’t make you scared of them’ (CP school)

• ‘I just want them to let me get on with my work. I want to do it all by myself. If the teachers helping it’s not our work. (CP school)

• When it comes to literacy he acts normal but when its PE he’s totally different.. Like he’s not an adult. I don’t think he really enjoys them (maths and literacy). He tones it down a little which is weird (non CP school)

Some Home and SchoolComparisons

Wellbeing Scores: Home v School

Item Inside school

Outside school

Effect size

Things are fun 2.90 4.10 large

Cared for 3.31 4.35 large

Lots to look forward to

3.00 4.00 large

Wellbeing Scores: Home v School

Item Inside school

Outside school

Effect size

stressed 3.07 2.53 small

Everything is an effort

3.19 2.98 trivial

Lonely 2.00 1.90 trival

Home School Links

• If I’ve had a good day at school I don’t mind doing chores at home

• If you’ve not had a good school day it doesn’t seem to get any better at home

• If you go home and maybe you’ve forgotten to do something and you get told off you gone from a really good day…and start to feel …Your world turns upside down

The impact of performativity

• Even in the CP schools, although teachers claimed otherwise, the need to prepare for SATs restricted opportunities for pupils to exercise choice etc.,

The impact of performativity?

After SATs in a CP school

• After SATs is like an after SATs relaxation• The teachers don’t let us do proper lessons• It’s not as worrying. When you’re doing your

SATs you worry a lot don’t you?• When it’s SATs they were just like, “You’ve got to

revise, You’ve got to revise.”• It’s basically no hard work, no homework,

basically relaxation. In the last six weeks before SATs it was proper hard work…”Get your head down and work.”

A SPLIT PERSONALITY!• Mrs G helps Davina, a former actor, with the

Drama club in a non CP school. At interview she speaks positively about the Davina’s influence on pupils confidence, and general wellbeing.

Interviewer: Do you bring these ideas into your teaching?

Mrs G: In some things. We do drama in History.Interviewer: What about Maths and English?Mrs G: No. Never.Interviewer: How does that make you feel?Mrs G: Like someone with a split personality.

Some Contrasts• In CP schools relied on building a sense of community by

promoting interdependent relationships (between teachers and students and between peers). There was less supervision of play areas, less rules, and less use of extrinsic rewards and sanctions.

• In CP schools there was a greater shared vision about teaching and learning

• In CP schools there was greater emphasis on pupil voice. School Councils did more than discuss environmental issues (e.g. litter, dirty lavatories etc.)

• Other schools regarded literacy and numeracy as outside the effort to promote a more enjoyable, more meaningful and active curriculum whereas CP schools tended to integrate activities across the whole curriculum except for Year 6 during the run up to SATs

ReferencesAmabile, T. (1996) Creativity in Context, Boulder, Colorado:

West View Press.Deci, E. and Ryan, M. (2008) Hedonia, Eudaimonia, and

wellbeing: An introduction, Journal of Happiness Studies, 9 (1) 1-11.

Ekvall, G., Isaksen, S.G., Lauer, K.L. & Britz, A. (2000) Perceptions of the best and worst climates for creativity. Creativity Research Journal. 13 (2) 171-184.

McLellan, R., Galton, M., Steward, S. and Page, C. (2012) The Impact of Creative Partnerships on the Wellbeing of Children and Young People, Final Report to Creativity, Culture and Education (CCE), University of Cambridge: Faculty of Education (also on CCE website)