The relationship between teachers' beliefs and students' scores regarding creativity and school skills. A comparative study

INTRODUCTION. The attitude of the teacher in the classroom is one of the determinants of the students' subsequent performance. Therefore, the beliefs that teachers hold about their students' learning abilities are an influential factor in their performance. In the present research, the objective is to check whether teachers' beliefs have aptitude towards their students learning abilities and their creative level. METHOD. In order to do so, a random sample stratified by gender and age of the total population was selected, receiving a sample of 433 students of 2nd and 3rd cycle of Primary Education from the entire province of Jaen (Spain). As evaluation instruments based on the objective set, the beliefs of 43 teachers were analysed using the Renzulli Scale responsible for attending to the performance of students perceived by teachers. To determine the students' skills towards learning, the Test de Aptitudes Escolares (TEA) was used together with the Torrance Test to analyse the creative level. RESULTS. The results showed that there is a significantly positive relationship between the teachers' beliefs and students' performances as well as a predictive relationship of the first over the second. DISCUSSION. In conclusion, it is possible to confirm the impact that teachers' beliefs have on school skills and the creative level of students, thereby emphasizing the need for teacher training so that pernicious beliefs do not hinder the performance of the student group.