Conceptualizing Creativity in the EFL Learners’ Writing: Probing the Perceptions of EFL Stakeholders (Research Paper)

Creativity has a critical role in education in general and second/foreign language (L۲) in particular. L۲ previous studies have mostly focused on creative writing or teaching and have examined different dimensions of creative writing and teaching, but creativity in L۲ writing has received very little attention. The present study has addressed this research gap. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore EFL stakeholders’ conceptualization of creativity in EFL learners’ writing. To that end, we conducted a descriptive narrative design in which ۱۵ EFL novice teachers, ۱۵ EFL experienced teachers, ۱۰ EFL experts, and five EFL material developers were recruited who provided their narratives and participated in semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically, using MAXQDA ۲۴ software. The findings of deductive-inductive thematic analysis showed four themes as the four different conceptualizations: “expanded new ideas in L۲ writing show creativity”, “enhancing a range of diverse ideas in L۲ writing develops creativity in writing”, “enough practice to develop imagination to engage readers leads to creativity in writing”, and “knowledgeable writers are critical thinkers to make spontaneous ideas”. We conclude that creativity in EFL learners' writing can be fostered through the incorporation of psychometric factors. The study highlights several important pedagogical implications regarding the role of psychometric factors in enhancing creativity within EFL learners’ writing.

کلیدواژه ها:

creativity ، EFL Learners’ Writing ، EFL Stakeholders ، Psychometrics Factors of Creativity