Investigating School Principals' Strategies in Fostering Students' Creativity Skills: A Case Study through the Lens of Componential Theory of Creativity

Abstract

This qualitative research examined how school principals foster student creativity through the lens of the Componential Theory of Creativity focusing on the three main components that consist of domain-relevant skills, creativity-relevant processes, and task motivation as perceived by selected public school teachers. Through an in-depth interview with these teachers from the Department of Education, Division of Davao City, who were selected through a purposive sampling technique, several themes emerged on how school principals foster student creativity for every component of the theory. The findings of the study highlight the importance of three key components of creativity. Domain-relevant skills were cultivated by building expertise within the school community, promoting knowledge of various creative forms and media, supporting real-world applications in curricula, offering professional development opportunities for teachers, and ensuring that resources are readily available for both educators and students. To enhance creativity-relevant processes, the school principals encouraged diverse approaches to learning, promoted talent showcases and project-based learning, and facilitated collaborative art projects and performances. Finally, task motivation was strengthened by recognizing and celebrating student creativity and effort, tailoring activities to meet individual student needs, and providing support for teachers in fostering student motivation. We recommend that school leaders adopt strategic and distributed leadership styles, create initiatives that nurture creativity in curriculum implementation, boost motivation among teachers and students, and consider the components of the componential theory of creativity to foster a collaborative and supportive school culture, while future researchers should explore comparative studies across different educational settings.