Inquiry learning pedagogies have not only been proposed as a successful teaching methodology to draw students into science, they are also rich with possibilities for creativity. The particular focus on investigations and problem‐solving provides opportunity for educators to embrace this. The primary curriculum explicitly values creativity in this regard, linking with inquiry, and problem‐solving. In recent years, science outreach carried out by universities in the Republic of Ireland has played a significant role in the formal classroom as a support to primary science (KS1). This article explores the perceptions of these two educators in the primary classroom, teachers (N = 31), and science outreach practitioners (N = 30), with respect to their theoretical stance on the construct of creativity and secondly their application of creativity in practice. The interview method used engaged research participants in a dialectical analysis of conceptual and pedagogical dilemmas. This unique, primarily qualitative methodology, provides evidence to differentiate perspectives of these two groups. Results indicate that participants generate new understandings by engaging in dialectical reflection and critical analysis of the two binaries. They also reveal that although outreach practitioners and teachers align in their perception of the theoretical model, that outreach practitioners are more favourable towards promoting a more creative environment for science in practice.

中文翻译：

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科学的创造力：非正式和正规教育的困境

探究式学习法不仅被提议为一种成功的教学方法，可以吸引学生进入科学领域，而且它们还具有创造力的可能性。对调查和解决问题的特别关注为教育工作者提供了接​​受这一点的机会。初级课程在这方面明确重视创造力，并与探究和解决问题联系在一起。近年来，爱尔兰共和国的大学开展的科学推广活动在正式教室中发挥了重要作用，作为对基础科学（KS1）的支持。本文探讨了这两种教育者在小学教室，教师（N  = 31）和科学拓展实践者（N = 30），关于他们关于创造力建构的理论立场，其次是他们在实践中的运用。访谈方法使用参与研究的参与者对概念和教学困境进行辩证分析。这种独特的，主要是定性的方法论提供了区分这两组观点的证据。结果表明，参与者通过对两个二进制文件进行辩证性思考和批判性分析，从而产生了新的理解。他们还表明，尽管外展从业者和教师对理论模型的看法一致，但外展从业者更有利于为实践中的科学创造更具创造力的环境。