The effect of mindfulness on creative self-efficacy and the creative process : a focus on educators at higher education level

Abstract

Creativity is believed to be important for both students and educators, however, it is an area which is often neglected, especially within higher education institutions. Research demonstrates that mindfulness practice enhances creativity (Byrne & Thatchenkery, 2019; Ostafin & Kassman, 2012). Studies related to mindfulness and educators working in higher education are generally based on the topic of well-being rather than creativity (Koncz et al., 2016). Within the field of creativity, research conducted on the area of creative self-efficacy has suggested that there is a positive and strong link between creative self-efficacy and creative performance (Christensen-Salem et al., 2020). Another relevant component of creativity is the creative process. Wallas (1926) describes the creative process as a series of four stages, i.e., preparation (defining the problem and gathering information), incubation (setting the problem aside and engaging in other tasks), illumination (the aha moment! ideas, solutions or images arise), and verification (evaluating, developing, and refining ideas). There is sparse research available exploring all three concepts together, i.e., mindfulness, creative self-efficacy, and the creative process. Thus, this study explores the topic of mindfulness in relation to creative self-efficacy and the creative process (the latter term as proposed by Wallas, 1926) in the context of educators who work in a higher education institution in Malta. For the purpose of this research, a qualitative research design was adopted to explore the research questions centred around the topics of mindfulness, creative self-efficacy and the creative process. To collect the data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 academics who work in higher education and who practice mindfulness. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The research demonstrated that mindfulness plays a role in creative self-efficacy, predominantly because it improves resilience, increases positive affect states (e.g., reduces stress) and it cultivates awareness of the present moment. Moreover, with reference to the creative process, the research revealed that mindfulness plays a significant role in the creative process because it improves focus and attention, cultivates the awareness required to let go of a problem or situation, enhances present moment awareness, creates a calm state of mind and promotes critical thinking skills. This research revealed that mindfulness has a positive impact on the areas of creative self-efficacy and the creative process of academics who work in higher education. Finally, the results revealed that mindfulness fosters compassion among educators, and this prompts academics to come up with creative solutions to problems encountered by students. A number of recommendations for future research have been highlighted. For instance, a comparative study investigating the effects of mindfulness on creative self-efficacy and the creative process could be conducted with a group of academics who practice mindfulness and a group of academics who do not practice mindfulness. This would allow for the identification of differences and similarities in responses between the two groups, i.e., the academics who practice mindfulness and academics who do not practice mindfulness, with the latter acting as a control group.