Abstract:

The continuous demand for acquiring new skills due to economic, technological and social changes force adult educators to focus on their professional development and thus, they often get involved in learning activities. The necessity of enhancing the creativity of students in order to help them learn new things in a useful and attractive way, become adjustable to changes and agile to new environments is a serious challenge for adult educators to find out and apply innovative ways in their teaching. For adult educators who expect to offer stimuli to their students for getting involved in fruitful learning experiences and achieving the best learning outcomes their focus on creative learning methods is of great importance. As theater is a place where creativity flourishes, adult educators can learn and widen their innovative approaches towards their teaching by borrowing techniques of more interactive learning activities. The analysis of case studies concerning the experiential activities of adult educators participated in real theater performances was analysed. This analysis shed light on what methodologies and techniques can enhance creativity of both adult educators and learners and thus, reveal the hidden talents and skills of both. Free expression of themselves through storytelling and playing roles were considered the most attractive and supportive methods for acquiring awareness of creativity, talents and risk taking benefits while gaining confidence through self-evaluation and peer evaluation when peers act as a real audience.

Keywords:

Adult educator, creativity, risk taking, evaluation, theater performance, pedagogical innovation.