A case study into Student perception of creativity within Junior Cycle English, with specific focus on the use of descriptors as a motivating factor in CBA1, the oral presentation

Abstract

This thesis seeks to understand student perception of creativity in the Junior Cycle English course. The thesis is particularly concerned with how students comprehend the concept of creativity and if they consider themselves as creative individuals. Notably, an examination of student motivation to be creative for Classroom Based Assessments (CBAs) is explored, along with student attitude on formative assessment. The research approach is mixed method but predominantly qualitative in nature. Three methods of data collection were used a focus group, semi-structured interview, and online survey. A constructivist, interpretivist epistemological approach was adopted. This thesis is broken five main chapters with subsections in each. A detailed thematic data analysis was used, themes emerged and were defined. Findings from research suggest that students have varying definitions of creativity but there is a consensus it involves innovation, imagination and original thinking, participants also stated that time pressure in school was having a negative impact on their creativity, a further finding suggested students are failing to see the benefits of formative assessment, especially in relation to descriptors assigned for Classroom Based Assessments. The research carried out will have significance for educators, policy makers and all educational stakeholders. As curriculum reform in Junior Cycle is relatively new (2015), this research will contribute to a growing body of literature around curriculum reform and also fill a knowledge gap as research as this area is comparatively new.