Fostering Creative Thinking in Gifted Students Through a K–8 Enrichment Program

This qualitative study explored how teachers in a university-based K–8 enrichment program perceived creativity and fostered creative thinking in their classrooms. Twelve enrichment program teachers participated in interviews examining their views on creativity and teaching strategies used to foster creative skills. Findings revealed teachers valued creativity and believed all students have creative potential, although developmental differences shaped approaches. Younger students tended to be approached with more teacher-facilitated creativity boosting activities like brainstorming and questioning. Older students required less guidance to demonstrate creative behaviors. All teachers established a supportive climate and offered open-ended activities for creative expression. The enrichment context allowed greater freedom in teaching creatively compared to traditional classrooms. Findings also suggest experienced K–12 teachers relied more on teacher-led instruction, whereas those without formal teacher training used more student-driven approaches to spark students’ creativity.