Teachers’ Creative Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Creative Teaching in Estonia: a Framework for Understanding Teachers' Creativity-Supportive Behaviour

Abstract

Context. Teachers' creative self-efficacy (CSE), or personal beliefs about one's own abilities to recognize and produce creative outcomes, is believed to be one of the factors that support creativity in the classroom and is connected to general self-esteem. Objectives and design. In the present paper, two studies were conducted to map Estonian teachers' CSE and the factors, beliefs and attitudes towards creativity that are related to it, as well as how teachers transfer their CSE into their everyday activities in the classroom. In the first study, Estonian adaptation of Rubenstein et al. (2013) Teaching for Creativity Scales and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Pullmann & Allik, 2000) were used. The second study was based on a qualitative analysis, using in-service teachers' self-reports focusing on their teaching practices. Main outcomes. As a result of both studies, a framework for understanding teachers' CSE is proposed, where selfesteem and perceived societal value of creativity are associated with the manifestation of CSE in the classroom, which in turn transfers into enhancing creativity through teaching for creativity and creative teaching.