ENHANCING CREATIVITY OF TRAINEE TEACHERS THROUGH THE USE OF INTERACTIVE PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS

This paper describes the experiences of trainee teachers while developing interactive pedagogical tools and how it impacts on their creativity and problem solving skills. Interactive Pedagogical tools are pedagogical tools that help the teacher take learning to the reach of learners. These pedagogical tools differ from traditional teaching aids as they can be manipulated in various ways. In their teacher training programme trainees are required to design and implement such pedagogical tools. Although there is a large body of literature on the design and use of teaching aids, none exist on the use of interactive pedagogical tools. The purpose of this research is to investigate the experiences of trainee teachers as they engage in the conception of these interactive pedagogical tools. The study reveals the challenges they face and how they turn a printed poster into an interactive pedagogical tool.

Data for this case study was obtained through online questionnaires from 49 participants from varied background. Focus groups interviews and individual semi-structured interviews were also used. Analysis of the interactive pedagogical tool and mindmaps created by trainee teachers was carried out.

The results show that working on interactive pedagogical tools help trainee teachers to become more creative, be more responsible, and develop problem solving skills. The challenges that trainee teachers faced was working in groups, deciding about a topic and to make a printed poster interactive. The forms of interactions vary from manipulative arms, flashcards, and pockets to enhance interactiveness and creativeness.

Interactive posters not only look appealing but are also very useful in teaching abstract concepts. Its conception requires trainee teachers to work as a group and design an original piece of work as well as engage in thinking and problem solving.