Program
Education K-12 M.A.
Number of Pages
62
Year Approved
2026
First Advisor
Amie Grubidge
Second Reader
Lisa Silmser
Abstract
Adolescence is a crucial stage for self-development and creativity development. During this period, middle school students will experience creative anxiety and self-doubt about creative expression in multiple dimensions. To help students manage the uncertainties inherent in the creative process and build confidence and resilience, this study, based on Rhodes' (1961) 4P creativity framework (Person, Process, Press, and Product), systematically investigated the obstacles to the development of adolescent creativity and identified teaching intervention measures for fostering a supportive creativity ecosystem.
This study demonstrated that the development of adolescent creativity is a result of multi-faceted and multi-dimensional interactions from the 4P creativity framework. Alleviating the anxiety of adolescents during the creative process requires support and guidance from multiple dimensions. In the person dimension, this study has found that the creative self-efficacy of adolescents is domain-specific rather than a generalized characteristic. Therefore, domain-specific strategies are more effective in fostering creative growth than generally enhancing overall self-esteem. In terms of the process dimension, this study found that providing structured, low-risk cognitive and sensory guidance supports in the class environment help teenagers facilitate dynamic transitions between divergent and convergent thinking, and build the emotional resilience needed to cope with creative setbacks. Regarding the press, research shows that establishing a safe, trusting environment is conducive to teenagers' creativity. When teenagers are given trust and autonomy, it helps to enhance their intrinsic driving force for creativity. When peers and teachers provide task-oriented feedback, this becomes a key catalyst for enhancing psychological safety. Finally, regarding products, the research results indicate that evaluating teenagers' creative output requires going beyond traditional standardized indicators and reconceptualizing novelty and value in the context of viewing the creative process as a growth milestone.
Ultimately, this study provides a comprehensive roadmap for visual arts educators to nurture environments that foster lifelong creative confidence for secondary students.
Degree Name
Education K-12 M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
Fang, W. (2026). Barriers To Creativity: Addressing Anxiety And Self-Doubt In Secondary Visual Arts Students [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/1284
Terms of Use and License Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.