Conceptions and practices of divergent thinking among form two science teachers / Lakshmi Nair Krishnan Kutty

Lakshmi Nair , Krishnan Kutty (2020) Conceptions and practices of divergent thinking among form two science teachers / Lakshmi Nair Krishnan Kutty. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the conceptions and practices of Divergent Thinking among Form Two Science Teachers. Divergent thinking is integral to creativity which comprises four components, namely Fluency, Flexibility, Originality and Elaboration. Divergent thinking is important because it is the thought process that allows students to think outside the norm and to create many, original solutions for new problems. In our education system, it is the teachers’ responsibility to foster divergent thinking in classroom as teachers are the main mediators between the curriculum and classroom practices. If the teachers lack conceptions on divergent thinking, they might unknowingly foster or suppress divergent thinking among students. The study was carried out based on three objectives, (i) to investigate selected Form Two science teachers’ conception about divergent thinking; (ii) to investigate Form Two science teachers’ practices of divergent thinking in science classroom; and (iii) to describe what are the gaps (if any) between Form Two science teachers’ conceptions and practices of divergent thinking in science classroom. Three Form Two science teachers were selected based on convenience from three different secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur to participate in this study. The study utilized an exploratory qualitative research design. Data collection method involved interview sessions with teachers and classroom observations. An observation guide comprising of ten items based on four elements: Fluency, Flexibility, Originality and Elaboration was prepared. It was used as a framework to analyze classroom observation, discourse and conceptions by using Constant Comparative Method (CCM). Through the process of coding segments of interview texts and items from observation guide, ten categories were elicited. The trustworthiness of this study were ensured by Expert verification, Member Checking, and peer review. Findings of this study revealed that teachers do have some common conceptions pertaining divergent thinking; which were (i) many ideas, (ii) thinking out of the box, and (iii) producing uncommon or extraordinary outcomes. However, with only three teachers, their practices seem to lie along a continuum. Analysis of gaps showed that one of the teachers showed almost no gap as her conceptions and practices of divergent thinking were mostly parallel. On the other hand, the other two teachers have wider gaps, such as having the conception but unable to practice it, or vice-verse. According to the Theories-of-Action, when conceptions are not parallel as practices, problem would arise. Therefore, educational policies and teacher education programs should take steps to bridge the gaps if teachers are to successfully implement divergent thinking in the science classrooms.

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