Department of Curriculum Studies

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Browsing Department of Curriculum Studies by Author "Abdo, Fiona"

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    Fostering design students’ creativity through reflective practice
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Abdo, Fiona; Frick, B. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : This study reports on an action research project I undertook at the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion together with 3rd year fashion design students. The focus of the study was the fostering of my design students’ creativity through reflective practices. Reflection on my previous teaching practices revealed challenging aspects which were hindering my design students’ creativity and this was used as a catalyst to introducing reflective practices into my teaching approach. This introduction of reflective practices, in turn, led me to adopting a change in my teaching practice from one of teaching creatively, to teaching for creativity. A thorough review of the relevant literature aided the design of lesson plans, incorporating dialogical reflective practices, focusing on critical friend discussions, peer group discussions, and one-on-one student facilitator feedback sessions. The action research study was conducted over two action research cycles. The first action research cycle was aimed at changing my teaching practice, introducing the students to the concept of reflection, and facilitating various reflective activities within the initial conceptual design process of the self-expressive design brief presented to the participating students. The second action research cycle was an attempt at fostering creativity in my design students through reflective practices. The planning for action research cycle 2 was a refinement of the activities in action research cycle 1, following practitioner reflections and colleague validation discussions on the outcomes of the first cycle. The facilitator observations, as well as participant feedback that was supported by the relevant literature found that reflective activity practiced within the fashion design process allows the students to communicate and engage with their peers, which evokes self-awareness and self-direction. The reflective activities encourage the students to assess their design process, develop an understanding of context, compare different design projects, rethink dominant design choices, and identify unconscious aspects of the design problem. This repeated testing of the design problem, dialogically, enhances the reflective process and aids the students in gaining clarity and confidence in their design concepts. When a design student is confident and clear on his or her design direction, their creativity is stimulated. Limiting apprehension, lack of self-awareness, and reservation within the students allows for autonomy of self-expression to develop. In conclusion, if practiced appropriately, reflective practices within the design process can foster the creativity of design students.