Pre-service teachers’perceptions of creative thinking in an English teacher education program in Chile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59758/rcci.2025.3.e52Palabras clave:
Creativity, Creative thinking, Pre-service teachers, Teacher EducationResumen
Objective: This study aimed to explore how pre-service teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) perceive creative thinking and the challenges they encounter in fostering it within educational contexts. Methodology: Conducted at a private university in Ñuble, Chile, this small-scale qualitative study involved 12 pre-service teachers enrolled in an English teacher education program. Data were collected through a tailored questionnaire and a semi-structured focus group interview, and analyzed thematically to identify key patterns in participants’ responses. Results: The findings reveal that participants view creative thinking as an essential skill for personal and professional development, primarily cultivated in language arts subjects but also recognized in broader settings such as home, school, and social interactions. Participants also identified barriers to promoting creative thinking in EFL classrooms, including limited conceptual understanding, low confidence, and insufficient pedagogical strategies. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of explicitly integrating creative thinking into teacher education curricula to strengthen pre-service teachers’ conceptual and practical understanding.
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Referencias
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Derechos de autor 2025 Jessica Vega-Abarzúa, Max Inostroza, Cristóbal Ruiz, Iván Olivares, Felipe Vásquez (Autor/a)
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0.
