TITLE:
Classroom Leadership and Creativity: A Study of Social Studies and Islamic Education Teachers in Jordan
AUTHORS:
Samih Al-Karasneh, Ali Jubran
KEYWORDS:
Classroom; Leadership; Creativity; Social Studies; Islamic Education
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.4 No.10,
October
7,
2013
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership practices and creativity traits as perceived by social studies and Islamic education teachers in Jordan. A sample of 289 social studies and Islamic education teachers were selected randomly. Data were collected using quantitative research method. Leadership practices were measured using the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI-Self) developed by Kouzes and Posner (2003) with self-developed items on the Islamic component by the researchers, and creativity traits were measured using the Creativity Self-Perception Questionnaire (CSPQ) developed by Goertz (1993). The validity and the reliability of two instruments are already developed and assessed. The data have been statistically analyzed (by using the SPSS). Findings of the study revealed that teachers perceived themselves positively in all dimensions studied. They were also found to be creative, as they perceived themselves to possess all the creativity traits. The study also showed that there was a significant correlation between the results of the ten leadership dimensions together and the eight creativity traits of teachers were positively significant. The results showed that there were no significant differences according to the dependent variables (gender, major of specialization, educational experience, and stage of schools) on most of the independent variables (eight creativity traits and ten leadership dimensions). The study also offered some recommendations to enhance the status of educational leadership, creativity of social studies and Islamic education teachers.