A Search for a Creative Pedagogy: How Research Can Inform Teaching Practice in Creative Writing

This essay begins by placing learning style theory in context and then looks at three aspects of learning style theory:- deep and surface processing, relevancy, and field dependence and independence. The central research question in this
essay has two parts. Firstly, can research into learning style theory inform a search for a creative pedagogy? Secondly, within the academic discipline of Creative Writing, how can research inform teaching practice? To answer these
questions I read three texts (Dalton and Smith 2005, Coffield et al 2004, and Hammond et al 2003) which give an overview of the application of learning style theory in an academic environment. These texts avoid categorisation of individuals and instead discuss practical application of research. I argue that, as such, they are part of an emerging tradition, fuelled by the Internet, involving the creative exchange of ideas. I use case studies to look at my own teaching practice, as it seems appropriate to include reflexivity as a methodology.