Making children ask questions
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Ha Ju-hyun, third from left in the back row, professor at the Department of Elementary Special Education, Konyang University, gathers with her students at Daejeon Gawon School, a school for children with learning disabilities in Daejeon, Nov. 20, 2015. The students are members of a club, “Creative Stone,” who volunteer to help disabled students that require special education. / Courtesy of Prof. Ha Ju-hyun
New paradigm needed to nurture creative talent
Ha Ju-hyun, education professor at Konyang University
By Chung Hyun-chae
An expert on creativity in education has emphasized that parents should encourage their children to ask more questions to develop creativity.
“Actually all children are born with curiosity, openness, spontaneity and risk-taking that are preconditions for becoming creative,” said Ha Ju-hyun, professor at the Department of Elementary Special Education, Konyang University in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.
She became the seventh president of the Korean Society for Creativity Education last month. Since its creation in 1996, the society has conducted research on how to promote creative education. It has also provided a forum for scholars to exchange their expertise and experiences.
She is confident that creative thinking starts from curiosity.
However, she pointed out that unfortunately most Koreans lose their curiosity, the seed of becoming creative, as they grow because parents and teachers give them immediate answers, depriving them of an opportunity to ask “why.”
“For example, when children ask ‘Why does rain come down from the sky?’ many intelligent mothers answer ‘It happens because cold air meets with hot air,’ which is correct but is not good in helping the children become creative,” Ha said. “The most advisable answer is ‘Well, what do you think?’”
If children give ridiculous answers, the parents should keep encouraging them to ponder “why,” she said.
During her lectures at the university, Ha always tries to encourage her students to ask more questions regardless of how correct or incorrect their solutions may be.
“I sometimes ask the whole class to give all different answers. Then students rack their brain trying to come up with different ideas,” Ha said. “I also reprove those who always give copybook answers because they could narrow other students’ view; and I praise those giving wrong answers because they inspire other students to try to give another answer.”
She has called on schoolteachers to give their students more leeway for the quest for learning.
“At schools, most Korean teachers speak 40 minutes in a 45-minute class, which means students are busy just listening to teachers,” Ha said. “Students should sometimes rest in peaceful oblivion to develop creative thinking.”
Trust in children
She believes that childhood is the most important stage for children to inspire their imagination and develop a creative mindset.
“Once parents trust their children, the children become confident of success in any field and try many new things feeling at ease,” Ha said, citing stories of American inventor Thomas Edison and British primatologist Jane Goodall.
It is a famous anecdote that Edison failed more than 1,000 times before he finally invented the light bulb in 1879.
“Why do you think Edison tried so many times to achieve his goal? It is because he had confidence in himself, which came from a strong trust relationship with his parents,” Ha said.
She explained that Goodall’s mother also showed unconditional trust in her daughter. When Goodall came back home after staying out until late at night, watching a hen sitting on eggs, her mother responded with, “I see,” instead of scolding her.
When Goodall said she wanted to go to Africa, which was very dangerous at that time, her mother said, “I will go with you,” instead of discouraging her.
“I think those mothers who supported their children could draw out their children’s creativity and talent,” Ha said.
Putting students on center stage
She said that children usually start cultivating their knowledge of the world in their elementary school days.
They learn basic knowledge of different subjects including math, science and literature. While studying, they become interested in certain areas. After entering secondary school, they begin in earnest studying such areas.
“During the process, parents should not disturb children’s interest, probably by pushing them to study math or English,” Ha said.
She has promised to work together with other scholars, educators and schoolteachers to create a paradigm shift in Korean education to change the current system which is too focused on methods of teaching that emphasize cramming and preparing student through learning by rote for extremely competitive college entrance exams.
The professor stressed that students, not teachers, should take center stage in education under the new paradigm to develop their critical and creative thinking.
She said the Korean Society for Creativity Education will make efforts to find out what is wrong with education in Korea and work out programs to nurture creative students.