Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions about Creativity in Teaching Reading

Abstract

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.