| Summary: | This dissertation explores the role of creative teaching methods in hospitality management education. It examines how hospitality lecturers and students perceive the role of creativity in a selection of higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland. It also reports on the current level of creative leaching practices within the hospitality discipline in these institutions and how effective they are within the disciplinary and institutional contexts in which they occur. A mixed methods approach was used to gather the views of lecturers and students concerning creativity and its role in higher education within the hospitality discipline. The research adopted three traditional data collection methods: survey questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. The data from the student and lecturer surveys were combined with data from interviews and focus groups to provide an indication of the current levels of creativity in teaching methods. On the whole, the hospitality lecturers and students in the study supported the use of creative teaching methods to enhance hospitality education. This position is consistent with current literature in the field. A range of factors and conditions were identified by the research as enabling or inhibiting the adoption of creative teaching methods in hospitality management education. These included challenging working conditions and a lack of available resources. Additionally, this research was used to identify what the respondents perceived as missing from hospitality education and how teaching and learning could be improved. The results suggest that questions need to be asked about the structure of many hospitality management programmes. The consensus among lecturers and students was the need for a more practically orientated curriculum and increased opportunities for structured work placements. In summary the results of this study add to our understanding of how hospitality lecturers and students perceive the role of creativity in higher education. They also indicate the current level of creative teaching practices within the hospitality discipline and how effective they are within the disciplinary and institutional contexts in which they are practised.
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