Possibility thinking developed through the arts in a Year 3 classroom

Research focus: Possibility thinking and the arts The arts are often underestimated in the curriculum, despite evidence indicating that they are central to the development of ‘little c’ creativity (Craft, 2001) and therefore should be included in the curriculum (Shaheen, 2010). ‘Little c’ creativity is characterised by an active engagement with everyday problems, where students learn collaboratively to find solutions (Craft, 2001). At the heart of this notion of creativity is possibility thinking (PT). This refers to the way in which learners deal with problems and their ability to ask ‘what if’ questions (Cremin et al., 2006). The research focus of this case study was to understand whether the arts (dance, art, song) could help to promote PT, enabling children to engage critically and creatively with the concept of human rights. To address my research question, I conducted a Lesson Study with colleagues in a Year 3 PSHE lesson. Studies have shown that a pedagogy suppor