Supervisors’ Conceptualisations of Creativity in Education Doctorates

Doctoral study is inherently a creative endeavour through which a student creates a scholarly contribution extending the knowledge boundaries of a discipline. however, creativity is not well-defined within the context of doctoral education. supervisors play a key role in doctoral students’ understanding of the creative process that leads to an original contribution. this article therefore explores the conceptualisation of creativity in doctoral education. a qualitative descriptive approach was followed in the research, starting with a theoretical conceptualisation of creativity within doctoral education as a basis for further inquiry. ten experienced supervisors in a south african faculty of education described how they conceptualised creativity in guiding students along the doctoral journey by means of recounting their supervisory experiences. the results reveal that as a multi-dimensional concept, creativity is not limited to the eventual contribution the doctorate is supposed to make. respondents narrated their understanding of creativity as a student attribute, an epistemological understanding, and an interaction with methodological processes