Lost in Translation Again: Concepts About Creativity Among Japanese and Polish Prospective Teachers

Socialization in a specific social group can influence the perception of various aspects of human life, such as creativity – the engine of intellectual and economic development. This chapter addresses various issues related to understanding creativity in different societies based on an empirical study with Polish and Japanese prospective teachers – members of two different societies that are also culturally different. The study was designed to understand how creativity is perceived in two different cultures, Polish and Japanese. It was conducted with 724 participants, 478 students of education studies from Japan and 246 from Poland. Participants were asked to complete two questionnaires identifying their creative mindsets and attitudes towards creativity, particularly its role in education. The results are discussed with regard to cross-cultural research and differences in socialization.