The production of creative texts in primary education

Abstract

Introduction: This article addresses the need to enhance the professional development of primary school teachers in Cuba to improve students' creative writing skills, specifically in fourth grade Spanish Language Arts. The research identifies methodological neglect and the use of traditional approaches by some teachers as a problem, which limits the development of students' written creativity. Materials and methods: The research employed a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) with a descriptive-analytical design. Theoretical methods (analytical-synthetic, systemic-structural, inductive-deductive, and modeling) and empirical methods (document analysis, observation, survey, and interview) were used. The sample included the cycle coordinator, four teachers, 20 fourth-grade students, and 40 specialists (methodologists and teachers). Data were processed using statistical-mathematical methods. Results: The main outcome was the development of a pedagogical model for teacher professional development, structured around two dialectically related subsystems: the Methodological-Procedural (with instructional, constitutive, and creative text advising components) and the Creative-Behavioral (with inquiry, research-oriented, and creative text appropriation components). Implementation of the model at the "Oscar Lucero Moya" school showed positive changes in teacher preparation, fostering cognitive and affective-motivational processes and a more innovative pedagogical practice. Discussion: The initial assessment confirmed deficiencies in teachers' mastery and application of creative text production, as well as inadequate planning for professional development. The proposed model, by integrating the methodological and creative-behavioral aspects, offers a systemic approach to transforming these limitations, promoting contextualized professional development and a more scientific approach to the teaching-learning process. Conclusions: The proposed pedagogical model is concluded to be a valuable theoretical and didactic contribution to the professional development of primary school teachers. It contributes to updating their performance, enriching the initial training of graduates in Education, and improving the quality of the creative writing process in primary education.