Fostering the Creative Process Using the Wallas Model: A Case Study Conducted Among Pupils in Craft Design Education

Abstract

Following on from the modeling of the creative process developed by Wallas in the early 20th century, this study examines the creative processes of pupils aged 10–12 and focuses on the sequence of various cognitive activities involved in school-based object projects. Drawing on theoretical models of the creative process and the multivariate approach, the aim of this study is to understand the relationship between the activities observed and the stages of Wallas' model, as well as how the type of task influences the outcome. Forty-one pupils attending school in French-speaking Switzerland were divided into two groups and carried out two separate projects over 6 weeks (a stop-motion film and a school box). To record their actual cognitive activity, the pupils completed the Creative Process Report Diary at the end of each lesson. This self-observation tool records both process activities and cognitive and emotional factors. The results of this longitudinal study reveal that the pupils' creative process corresponds to the stages of the creative process defined by Wallas. However, we observe certain specific features, such as dynamic and iterative sequences between stages. Furthermore, the analyzes highlight the influence of the nature of the task on the density (quantity) and variety (alignment) of transitions. These observations confirm the sustainability of the model proposed by Wallas and encourage future research on the development of the creative process in compulsory school education.