Killing the goose: conflicts between politics and pedagogy

Abstract

This article, and the research project which informed it, was a response to the impact of what Michael Power calls 'the audit culture'.

The research was undertaken within the art & design sector for practical reasons but also because the discipline prioritises creative and transformative education and emphasises individual development. This article provides a preliminary review of literature, considering definitions of creativity and the creative process and outlining the most salient factors for creativity in education. The subsequent qualitative and quantitative research sought to discover the views of teachers and learners in relation to these factors.

These findings led me to initiate an international conference on 'Creativity or Conformity: building cultures of creativity in higher education' which took place in Cardiff in January 2007, attracting over 150 submissions.

The co-author was a research assistant who was working under my direction.