EXPRESSION OF CREATIVITY OF TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING THE VISUAL EXPRESSION ABILITIES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Theoretical assumptions on the basis of which the empirical study was conducted:

• In the pursuit of developing children in innovative and creative manner, a preschool teacher himself must be creative. Creativity is associated with different characteristics and abilities of an individual.
• Development of visual expression skills is a particularly important area of expression of the teacher’s creativity. Visual expression is the expression of the child in the language of images through painting, working with watercolours, drawing, sculpting, constructing, applying, printing, folding, cutting, etc.
• An authentic context that allows children to learn about themselves and the world is present in natural environments. Natural environment and natural materials of the most diverse shades motivate children to be active. It creates expected and at the same time changing spaces for children’s activities.

Problematic issues:

• Which qualities of a creative teacher manifest in accumulating children’s experience in various natural environments a guarantee of the success of creative activities?
• How does creativity of teachers manifest in organising visual activities in natural environments?
• Which qualities of a creative teacher are necessary in combining the development of visual expression in a group and in natural environments?

Objective – to analyse expression of creativity of teachers in developing the visual expression abilities of preschool children in natural environments.

Methodology of the study. The article has been prepared according to the study in which the methods of scientific literature analysis, focus group and content analysis were applied. The participants in the study were selected using a convenient selection method of non-probability sampling of qualitative research. Four study meetings of the focus group with preschool teachers of different nurseries-kindergartens of Klaipėda city took place. 23.8 percent of teachers and 26.2 percent of senior teachers participated in the study. Half (50 percent) of the participants in the study were teachers-methodologists. Nine to twelve respondents participated in each focus group study. 43 preschool teachers constitute the total sample of the focus group study. Informants in the text are coded by an institution, serial number of the informant, and by that in which natural environment the activity was carried out. During the study, the principles of the study ethics were followed.

Conclusions:

1. Preschool children depict what they have experienced and know rather that what they see. Teachers accumulate this experience and develop visual expression skills in the outdoor territory of the institution, in environments that are near/next to the kindergarten, in natural environments, when there is a need to travel by city transport, and in environments that are tens or hundreds of kilometres away from the institution. In organising visual expression activities in these natural environments, the creativity of teachers manifests itself in willingness to try new things, in courage to take responsibility, in exploring the environment, raising questions, looking for ideas, desire to know more.
2. In developing visual expression skills, it is necessary to remember that a preschool child is learning while creating. The teacher’s role is not only to enrich the child’s experience, but also to help him realize his ideas, create favourable contexts of education (self-education. In natural environments, there are conditions for the child’s expression in the language of images through drawing, painting, sculpting, applying, stamping, constructing, and the opportunity to observe and valuate works of art. In organising these activities, the creativity of preschool teacher manifests itself through freedom of imagination, the ability to fantasize, invent, see, to be resourceful, and through encouraging the creation of original, different ideas.
3. The interfaces between a group and natural environment are related to visual representation of impressions in natural environments in group activities, also to continuation of activities, that have been started in the group, in the natural environment, and to collection and use of natural material in the group. Creativity of teachers in combining the education of visual expression in a group and in natural environments manifests itself through flexible attitude, ability to see an idea from different perspectives, freedom of imagination, detailing of already existing ideas, creation of diverse ideas, and expression of feelings.