Exploring the impact of possibility thinking training on educators’ creative self-perceptions: A mixed methods action research study in Maltese schools

Abstract

Creativity in education aims to foster mindsets and practices that envision and enact “what could be”. Possibility Thinking(PT) offers an outlet for teachers to hone in on their own self-perceptions while also cultivating environments that nurture creativity and possibility thinking in their students. Despite a sound body of conceptual literature (Craft, 2001, 2013; Glăveanu, 2017) and scant empirical studies (Burnard et al., 2006; Gregoriou, 2023) related to possibility thinking, there is a paucity of empirical studies employing mixed-methods to explore possibility thinking within authentic contexts. This article presents findings from a twelve-month mixed-method project conducted in four Maltese primary schools with a total of 304 educators. Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to offer a comprehensive perspective. Adopting a pragmatism-informed approach and guided by the Five As of creativity (Glăveanu, 2012) – Actor, Action, Artefact, Audience, Affordances, this study integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to offer a holistic understanding of how PT training can be embedded in education to enhance creative self-perception and agency among educators. Quantitative data were collected through validated self-report scales measuring the creative self, creative mindsets, and PT dispositions. Qualitative data, gathered via reflective journals, observations, and thematic analysis, captured the contextual and emotional dimensions of practice. While no statistically significant group or time effects were found across quantitative measures in a two-way between-subjects ANOVA, PT and its subdimensionsshowed strong intercorrelations (r = .85 to .93, p < .01) and moderate associations with growth mindset (r = .26 to .34, p < .05) and creative self (r = .30 to .53, p < .01) at both pre- and post-test. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: emotional engagement, practical relevance, structural constraints, and the importance of institutional support. These findings suggest that PT training, especially when embedded within reflective and supportive environments, can foster gradual yet meaningful shifts in teachers’ creative self-perceptions and pedagogical agency. Implications are discussed for professional development and creativity research in education.