Creativity beliefs, creative personality and creativity-fostering practices of gifted education teachers and regular class teachers in Hong Kong

• Investigated the relationship between teachers’ creativity-fostering behaviors in the classroom and their creativity beliefs and creative personality.
• Comparison of these variables between teachers directly involved in gifted education and those who were not in Hong Kong primary schools.
• Creativity beliefs and creative personality were both predictors of teachers’ creativity-fostering behaviors.

This study investigated the relationship between teachers’ creativity beliefs, creative personality, and creativity-fostering behaviors in 399 Hong Kong primary school teachers (68 males and 331 females). Regression analysis showed that creativity beliefs and creative personality were both predictors of teachers’ creativity-fostering behaviors. A comparison of these variables was also made between teachers directly involved in gifted education activities (n = 187) and those who were not (n = 212). It was found that teachers who were directly involved in gifted education scored significantly higher than those who were not involved in all the three variables of creativity beliefs, creative personality, and creativity-fostering behaviors. Implications for fostering creativity in schools are discussed, highlighting the importance of teachers’ ongoing involvement in creativity-related activities and a supportive school environment.