Creativity Enactment in Ghanaian Secondary Visual Arts Programmes: An Autoethnographic Perspective

Abstract Creativity is regarded as one of the competencies of 21st‐century education and industry, and its enactment has been challenging for teachers and policymakers. This paper is an autoethnographic study that registers the accounts of the experiences and personal reflections of the lead researcher during his doctoral study, which explored creativity and creative pedagogies in visual arts practice in secondary schools in Ghana. It extends insights into how creativity is enacted in policy from a non‐Western perspective and the realities and discrepancies surrounding the transitioning of creativity from the policy level into the local classrooms and studios within the Sekondi‐Takoradi Metropolis in Ghana. This paper aimed to provide contextual understanding and suggestions for enhancing Ghanaian SVA education, focusing on fostering creativity in educational settings and incorporating it as a policy priority. Autoethnography was employed as a research method based on narrative theory, the sociocultural theory of creativity, social constructivist theory and reflexivity, making the study more personal through a social constructivist lens. I found issues with policy and educational documents regarding creativity. Teachers' pedagogical practices were didactic and over‐relied on teacher‐led approaches that did not enhance students' creativity. The learning environments were static, with traditional arrangements positioning the teacher in front of the classrooms and studios. Recent research‐based definitions of creativity and established implementation procedures were absent from policy and educational documents. The learning settings lacked characteristics that promote innovative thinking and nurture creativity in students. Recommendations for policy and practice were also discussed.