Dr Maria Gregoriou

Research Overview

My research delves into the exploration of creativity and its integration into education, particularly through interdisciplinary approaches within the curriculum. This inquiry is geared towards fostering effective and purposeful educational prospects, with a specific emphasis on early years and primary school contexts. More precisely, my area of focus centers on cultivating children’s creativity and possibility thinking, both within and outside the classroom environment.

My initial background in primary education, both as academic and practitioner, has provided me with a unique viewpoint. I have developed a perspective that centers on embodied dialogue as the primary catalyst for creativity. This perspective offers an alternative to conventional notions of educational creativity, which often depict it as an individual, cognition-centered, and quantifiable endeavor. My research approach on creativity complements this perspective. I employ mixed methods and collaborate closely with teachers and children, rather than studying them from an external standpoint. My aim is to develop creative teaching and learning practices that respect teachers’ professional expertise and respect children’s viewpoints. 

Research topics: Creativity, Possibility Thinking, Museum Education, Outside the Classroom Learning and Teaching, Learning through Play, Teacher’s pedagogies, Interdisciplinary learning.