Imagination in the Creative Self-Expression of Students in Secondary School Literature Classes

Abstract

The paper’s aim is to make topical the role of imagination in thinking processes and learning cognition and in the creative self-expression of students in secondary school Literature classes. The paper summarizes theoretical pedagogical and psychological findings about imagination in cognitive activity and links them with the author’s practical experience in the work of a secondary school Literature teacher. The research issue is how to stimulate imagination in secondary school students’ cognitive activity during literature classes, thereby promoting their creative self-expression and self-experience. This issue is topical when contemplating the formation of a creative personality and a skilled, creative reader. The role of imagination is regarded from three viewpoints: the relation of imagination to the development of thinking; the role of imagination in creative self-expression and self-experience of students; creative exercises in secondary school literature classes as imagination stimulators. In the learning process related to artistic cognition, connection between scientific and artistically directed cognitive activity is relevant because the development of a free and creative personality requires linking of critical thinking, imagination and emotional attitudes, which in turn forms creative self-experience of students, the ability to use knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the learning process of diverse life situations. Creative problem tasks in Literature classes are one of the pedagogical means to encourage students to look for connections between different science fields, topics, facts, events, objects, phenomena, images and draw independent take-aways and conclusions, as well as encourage students to express themselves creatively. The research methods: literature analysis, content analysis, self-experience analysis, survey.