Exploring the power of imagination: unravelling students’ self-perception of academic abilities in imaginative and traditional schools in Greece

Abstract

While contemporary trends in education emphasise the primacy of economic and technological competencies, imagination often finds itself under-valued. This is particularly true in Greece, where alternative schools encounter numerous challenges, some arising from discrimination. Imaginative teaching employs imagination-based teaching methods to support and enhance the development of children’s and adolescents’ physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills. This study explores the effects of imaginative teaching methods on students’ abilities by examining 103 Greek students’ self-perception of them. The abilities correspond to eight constructs, as described by Howard Gardner in his Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory. Prior research has hinted at the potential correlation between these imaginative teaching strategies and MI educational applications. The Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scale (MIDAS) was used to assess the 8 MI constructs and 24 associated skills. Statistically significant results show that students having imaginative-based education have a higher estimation of their language and intrapersonal skills. Further research is needed to move forward from assessing the self-perception of students’ abilities to assessing their actual skills.