When Learning Sinks In: Using the Incubation Model of Teaching to Guide Students Through the Creative Thinking Process

Abstract

While creativity has traditionally been an essential component of gifted education, the majority of creative teaching strategies neglect to address its multifaceted nature. As a result, attempts to encourage creativity are often fractured, and gifted students struggle to recognize how academic content and creativity go hand-in-hand. This article explores how the incubation model of teaching (IMT) can be used to encourage creativity from start to finish, while delivering challenging academic content (Torrance, 1979, Torrance & Safter, 1990). Emphasis is placed on the value of incubation, which is characterized by a resistance to closure and open-mindedness to consider ideas from multiple points of view. Encouraging incubation not only promotes ownership of learning, but also paves the way for moments of creative inspiration to occur. Discussion of both theoretical and practical implications of the model illustrates how the IMT can be used to guide students through the creative thinking process in a variety of diverse settings.