Teachers' and mothers' perceptions of using creative arts to develop children's potential for critical thinking

Using a qualitative naturalistic, interpretive design, this study sought to investigate the impact of children's participation in a creative arts project on the development of critical thinking dispositions. Focus groups and individual interviews were undertaken to identify mothers' and teachers' perceptions of children's critical thinking development in the context of creating an art piece. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis. The findings revealed that creative arts participation was able to excite children's imagination and mobilise creativity leading to an increased awareness of self and others, including the environment around them. Teachers believed children required more time for free play to develop their imagination, while mothers perceived that time and curriculum constraints reduced children's opportunities for integration of arts into their other studies. These findings have important implications for the development of future education curricula in addition to the development of collaborative initiatives between schools and community organisations