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1. IntroductionPostmodern knowledge society places new demands on schools all over the world; students need to be creative, have the ability to cooperate in group processes and acquire information. This is the expertise students should master to succeed in life and work in the 21st century (see Sawyer, 2006; University of Phoenix Research Institute, 2011). A broad study made in the United States (Kim, 2011) surveyed the development of creativity from the early 1990s to now. According to the study, intelligence has increased significantly during the past two decades, wherea s creativity and creative thinking have decreased. The study indicated that children's ability to produce ideas and be open to new ideas increases until they reach the age of nine. After that, these abilities remain quite stable for about a year until they begin a steady decline. Children's curiosity and open-mindedness followed the same path. Kim (2011) proposes that schools should encourage creative thinking and expression. There should be more opportunities available for pupils to be active and have critical discussions instead of drill exercises and standardized testing. Pupils become less creative when they experience the pressure of conventionality.2. 2. Problem Statement and Research QuestionsVarious questions emerge from the results introduced above. In this article, we first aim to examine the concept of creativity and the key factors related to it. The purpose of this article is to determine the elements of a learning environment supporting children's creativity by combining research and theory of creativity with the theory of drama education.We seek to contemplate and outline the following questions based on prior research and self-reflection:1) What kind of learning environment supports pupils' creativity in schools?2) Which aspects of drama education nurture pupils' creativity?This theoretical review is part of a research project undertaken at the University of Helsinki, Department of Teacher Education. The research project is focused on classroom drama teaching practices (e.g., Toivanen, Pyykko & Ruismaki, 2011, Toivanen, Antikainen & Ruismaki, 2012; Toivanen, Mikkola & Ruismaki, 2012; Toivanen & Pyykko, 2012a, 2012b). This article outlines some aspects of drama education that nurture children's creativity. Naturally, the model is a hypothetical draft that is based on the theories of creativity and drama education.3. CreativityCreativity is a multi-dimensional and complex phenomenon. It is difficult to measure and one of the most difficult psychological concepts to define. (e.g., Kousoulas, 2010; Kurtzberg, 2005; McCammon et al., 2010; Sawyer, 2012a.) Nonetheless, it is possible to find some similarities from the various definitions of creativity.Researchers usually approach the field of creativity from one of the four generally acknowledged locations or expressions: a creative person, product, process or environment (Lemons, 2005; McCammon et al., 2010, Uusikyla, 2012). While studying a creative person, the focus is on the creative personality. In turn, a number of researchers have stressed the transformational abilities of the creative process. Environment refers to the milieu where creativity occurs. (Lemons, 2005.) Traditionally, creativity is defined through the result of the process, i.e., a product; making a creation the subject of a study (Craft, 2005, 15). A creative product can be an invention as well as piece of art, theory, skill or habit. It is known that creativity does not always manifest a certain concrete result. Even a creative idea can be a creative invention (see Craft, 2005, 20-22; Uusikyla & Piirto, 1999, 18). In this article, we approach the field of creativity from the concept of creative process that also defines creative behaviour and creative thinking as creative processes.In addition to the traditional creativity elements of a creative person, product, and process, Csikszentmihalyi (1996, 27-28; 1999, 313-315, see also Brinkman, 2010; Lemons, 2005; Sawyer, 2003; 2012a) stresses the significance of the environment. …

Creative Pedagogy - Supporting Children’s Creativity Through Drama