Résumé:
There is a growing body of literature that recognizes EFL teachers’ crucial role in realizing
creativity within their subject and stimulating creative strategies in the classroom. However,
few studies have focused on what constitutes creativity in a particular area such as reading.
The current study aims at exploring secondary school teachers’ perceptions about creativity in
teaching reading. Data for this study were collected using a classroom observation conducted
with third year secondary school classes and a questionnaire administrated to a randomly
chosen sample of 40 EFL secondary school teachers from different secondary schools in Jijel.
The analysis of the aforementioned research instruments has demonstrated that secondary
school teachers hold positive attitudes towards creativity in teaching. However, they have an
unclear understanding of skills and knowledge to foster creativity in teaching. Additionally, it
is revealed that although risk-taking is one of the central traits of a creative teacher, the
ambiguity of the term was reflected in teachers' response. The findings also indicated a
discrepancy between how teachers perceive creativity and their real practices inside the
classroom. Finally, it is proven that if teachers are to engage in creative and innovative
teaching, they need a nurturing context and environment that support creativity in teaching.
Thus, it is revealed that training to develop teachers’ understanding of the necessary skills and
knowledge to promote creativity in teaching reading is central. The findings of the current
study serves as grooming ground for future researchers to further dive into the importance of
creativity in teaching reading.
