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A Closer Look at the Creativity Gap and Why Students are Less Creative at School than Outside of School
Abstract
Previous research has reported that there is a discrepancy between the creativity students display when they are in school and that which they display when they are not in school. The present investigation explored this creativity gap. A measure that captures creative activity and achievement in various domains (art, science and technology, everyday creativity) was administered to 254 Turkish undergraduates. This investigation also used statistical techniques that allowed the explanatory power of personality, creative attitudes and values, students’ perceptions of supports and barriers at school, and various background variables, such as parental education) to be determined. Results confirmed that there was a discrepancy between the in school and outside of school creative activities and achievements. Significantly more creativity was reportedly displayed outside rather than in school. Students’ social preferences, creative attitudes and values, and creative personality traits explained much of the discrepancy. Various interpretations of these results are examined, one being that students have creative potential, as evidenced by their creative activities and achievements outside of school, but these potentials are not displayed when they are in school, perhaps because usually there is more structure and more restrictions in school, and creativity entails autonomy and independence. Limitations and future research are discussed.
... Some argue that formal educationdefined as a compulsory, structured education system which typically follows a programme or curriculum (UNESCO, 2011)-is not appropriately structured or equipped to fulfil the creative potential of young people. In particular, the focus on standardised assessments, conformity, rote learning and rule following, as well as the administrative pressures on teachers, and the lack of capacity for one-to-one learning opportunities that typically characterise formal education, is suggested to stifle children's creativity (Agnoli et al., 2018;Craft, 2005;Kim, 2011;Noddings, 2013;Richards, 2001;Runco et al., 2017;Torrance, 1967;Westby & Dawson, 1995). Conversely, others contend that creativity, often linked with intelligence, is learned and sharpened at school in the same way skills like numeracy and literacy are, and that broader experiences associated with attending schools such as exposure to informational diversity, collaboration, widening social networks and creativity-focussed classroom activities are particularly beneficial to the development of creative thinking (Barbot & Said-Metwaly, 2021;Dewey, 1938;Gajda et al., 2017;Karwowski, 2022;Karwowski et al., 2020;Kaufman et al., 2023;Paris et al., 2006). ...
... However, the relationship was stronger with other, less widely used, psychometric measures of divergent thinking (Ai, 1999). Similarly, Turkish university students rated themselves as more creative in out-of-school contexts than in-school contexts across several domains-with the only exception being that of science and technology (Runco et al., 2017). The authors suggested that this may reflect the administrative pressures and high student-to-teacher ratio in schools and teachers which precludes supporting individual work and independence, and thus developing core creative skills (Runco et al., 2017). ...
... Similarly, Turkish university students rated themselves as more creative in out-of-school contexts than in-school contexts across several domains-with the only exception being that of science and technology (Runco et al., 2017). The authors suggested that this may reflect the administrative pressures and high student-to-teacher ratio in schools and teachers which precludes supporting individual work and independence, and thus developing core creative skills (Runco et al., 2017). However, it is of course important to note that this study focussed on adults and in university settings, and whether the same factors hold for earlier education experiences should be further examined. ...
Whether schools help or hinder creativity is a topic of vibrant, international debate. Some contend that the focus on structure, rote learning and standardised assessments associated with formal education stifles children’s creativity. Others argue that creativity, much like numeracy or literacy, is a skill that can be taught, and educational settings provide optimal contexts for children to learn creative skills. With creativity increasingly recognised as a critical skill of the twenty-first century and formal education reaching more children across the globe, understanding the impact of schools on its development is critical. We suggest that much of the discourse on this topic has a narrow focus, precluding a global perspective. Here, we take a step back to integrate important but disparately presented research strands on education and creativity, to inform this debate. We first synthesize what we know about creativity and education, before presenting work on different areas—either directly or indirectly assessing creativity in educational contexts—including the relationship between creativity and academic achievement, classroom infrastructure and experiences, developmental slumps, teachers’ perspectives on creative children and research on culturally and educationally diverse populations. Reviewing research from these approaches shows that the relationship is nuanced and requires careful interpretation—while some research showcases the positive impact schooling can have on children’s creative development, other work, including from culturally and educationally diverse populations, shows how school experiences could be detrimental in this regard. We finish by summarising and integrating these research strands before making suggestions for future research.
... Most of the questionnaires and checklists focus on activities that are shown in leisure time and that are not work-related. However, there are also instruments that explicitly focus on the difference between activities in and out of structured settings (e.g., a study with Turkish undergraduate students focusing on creative activities in and outside university; (Runco et al., 2017)). The structure of these creative activities was debated, with some studies reporting unidimensionality across domains (Batey, 2007;Diedrich et al., 2018) and others suggesting multidimensionality (Dollinger, 2003;Hocevar, 1979;Runco et al., 2017), indicating that creative activities in one area do not necessarily predict creative activities in another. ...
... However, there are also instruments that explicitly focus on the difference between activities in and out of structured settings (e.g., a study with Turkish undergraduate students focusing on creative activities in and outside university; (Runco et al., 2017)). The structure of these creative activities was debated, with some studies reporting unidimensionality across domains (Batey, 2007;Diedrich et al., 2018) and others suggesting multidimensionality (Dollinger, 2003;Hocevar, 1979;Runco et al., 2017), indicating that creative activities in one area do not necessarily predict creative activities in another. ...
... Regarding the latter, a recent study in Turkish undergraduate students found that creative activities and achievements were more prevalent outside of school than within it, likely due to the restrictive structures of the school environment (Runco et al., 2017). ...
The measurement of everyday creative activities has been a widely applied measure of creativity in adult samples in order to investigate the relationship with creative potential and creative achievements. Despite the importance of creative activities for the development of achievements the assessment mostly focuses on adults. In the study at hand, we develop a questionnaire for adolescents and provide results regarding its structural, convergent, and predictive validity in a sample of n = 423 talented students from sixth and seventh grade. We show structural validity of the theoretically derived factor structure including six content domains (e.g., literature, handicrafts, etc.) Furthermore, we provide proof of convergent validity given the correlation of creative activities with divergent thinking as well as predictive validity regarding creative achievements. We discuss the findings in the light of previous studies including adult samples and summarize recommendations for the application of the measurement of creative activities in gifted students as well as in more general student populations.
... Previous studies showed good reliability for individual CAAC domains (ranging from .74 to .88; Runco et al., 2017) and high reliability for the total Home and the total school scales (.91 and .92, respectively;Runco et al., 2023). ...
... More than five times at home = you have done this activity or accomplishment more than five times at home Creativity attitudes and values A short form of the Creativity attitudes and values (CA&V) consisting of 25 Likert items was used in this study. Previous studies that employed CA&V showed good reliability (.90 and above; Runco et al., 2017;Runco et al., 2023). Participants were first introduced with an example of how to respond to each of the CA&V items, followed by the 25 scored items. ...
... A short form of HWYDY was administered. It consists of 12 items that describe traits indicative of a creative personality (Barron & Harrington, 1981;Runco et al., 2017Runco et al., , 2023. Each of the 12 items on the HWYDY consists of one trait adjective and a brief explanation of that trait (e.g., Authentic: you are yourself and do not try to be someone others might think you should be). ...
Previous research suggests that environment can play an important role in encouraging or discouraging creative expression and productivity. Additional research has uncovered a discrepancy between the creativity students express at school and the creativity they express outside of school. The fact that, in previous research, students expressed more creativity outside of school than when in school implies that school discourages creativity. So far, the creativity gap has only been studied with nongifted students. One objective of the present investigation was to check for a similar discrepancy among gifted learners. Four hundred and eighty-seven middle school and high school students from the State of Kuwait (240 gifted and 247 non-gifted) were recruited. The Creativity Activities and Accomplishment Checklist (CAAC) was administered to compare students' creative activities at home and school. The primary finding of this investigation was that the strength of the relationship between creativity at home and creativity at school differed in gifted and nongifted students. What was called a creativity gap existed in both groups, but it was smaller in the gifted group. A second finding was that gifted students expressed more creativity at school compared with the nongifted group, in particular CAAC domains. There were no differences between the gifted and the non-gifted groups in the creativity expressed at home, except for one subscale, namely everyday creativity. Although gifted students expressed more creativity at school, compared with their nongifted peers, they were nonetheless more creative at home compared with school. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that measure of personality significantly moderated the relationship between creativity at home and creativity at school. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
... Advancements and breakthroughs can considerably impact society when gifted and talented students develop divergent thinking abilities. Fostering improved divergent thinking capabilities in gifted and talented students can reap significant benefits for humankind, ranging from innovation and economic growth to collaborative problem-solving, adaptability, cultural enrichment, and educational reform (Runco et al., 2017). ...
... While publishers have released resources intended to engage students in divergent thinking, most of these materials focus on developing logic, reasoning, and convergent thinking. The extent to which existing resources have been demonstrated to enhance divergent thinking in gifted and talented students remains to be discovered (Runco et al., 2017). ...
... The problem addressed in this study was the lack of evidence-based instructional approaches for developing divergent thinking in gifted and talented students within heterogeneous K-6 cluster classes (Gubbins et al., 2021). Traditional instructional methods may have inadequately fostered divergent thinking, a fundamental component of creative intelligence, potentially limiting student growth and leading to underachievement (Daugherty et al., 2018;Pavlov et al., 2021;Runco et al., 2017). While this issue was at the forefront, it is part of a more complex landscape. ...
This quantitative quasi-experimental study, adopting a pretest/post-test control/treatment group design, investigated the efficacy of instructional strategies for developing divergent thinking in gifted and talented students within K-6 heterogeneous cluster classes. It specifically explored the problem of insufficient evidence-based approaches for fostering divergent thinking, an area often neglected in traditional gifted education programs. The study was grounded in the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence, which emphasized the importance of creative intelligence as a domain equal to analytical and practical intelligence. The primary research question focused on the extent to which a targeted divergent thinking instructional approach, derived from the Williams Model, impacted students' divergent thinking skills. Participants included 269 students of varied abilities from New Jersey public schools, with the sample determined through power analysis to ensure a 0.90 power. Data were collected using the Williams Creativity Assessment Packet (WCAP), administered by trained teacher facilitators before and after an 8-week instructional intervention. Findings revealed a statistically significant increase in divergent thinking among all students, with gifted and talented students showing the most pronounced improvements. The study identified themes of increased fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration in students' thinking. Recommendations for future research include replicating the study with alternative assessments, extending the duration of interventions, enhancing WCAP's scoring system, modifying its format for diverse learners, and periodic re-norming to reflect current educational contexts. This investigation helped identify a possible formative assessment strategy for students receiving gifted and talented services. Norm-referenced creativity assessments can be effectively integrated into gifted and talented programs to nurture divergent thinking, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of student capabilities. ii Acknowledgments
... Muitas são as características pessoais do aluno relacionadas à criatividade que podem ser estimuladas em sala de aula. Entre elas, destacam-se autonomia, abertura à experiência, persistência, compromisso, elevada energia, preferência por situações de risco, tolerância à ambiguidade, senso de humor, motivação intrínseca, percepção de significado da tarefa, senso de autoeficácia e valor percebido da criatividade (Amabile, 2019a;Beghetto & Karwowski, 2018;Cropley et al., 2019;Fleith, 2019;Karwowski, Gralewski, et al., 2020;Runco et al., 2017;Tang & Kaufman, 2017;Van der Zanden et al., 2020). Essas características interrelacionam-se, por exemplo, a autonomia é facilitadora da motivação intrínseca e da elevada energia (Grohman & Snyder, 2017;Ryan & Deci, 2017), enquanto a persistência, compromisso e tempo empregado em uma tarefa estão positivamente associados à paixão pelo que se faz (Moeller et al., 2015). ...
... As conclusões decorrentes desse processo podem contribuir, por exemplo, para ( Bomfim et al., 2017;De Mendonça, 2020;Galaviz et al., 2011;Lipman, 2003;Roseiro et al., 2020;Santos & Pereira, 2018;Tiellet, 2019), em especial os associados à criatividade, como autonomia, segurança psicológica frente ao erro e senso crítico Amabile & Hennessey, 1992;Beghetto, 2021b;Beghetto & Karwowski, 2018;Carvalho et al., 2021;Fleith & Morais, 2017;Karwowski, Jankowska, et al., 2020;Runco et al., 2017;Sternberg, 2019). ...
... Pode-se hipotetizar que alguns de seus ordenamentos estimulam a criatividade e outros, limitam-na. Por exemplo, ao mesmo tempo em que se enfatiza o controle, em especial o relacionado às vestimentas, apresentação individual e conduta, também se estimulam valores e habilidades, tais como respeito mútuo, disciplina consciente, iniciativa, meritocracia, confiança, liderança e autonomia (Corpo de Bombeiro Militar do Distrito Federal, 2000; Exército Brasileiro, 2008; Governo do Distrito Federal, 2016; Polícia Militar de Santa Catarina, 2017; Polícia Militar do Distrito Federal, 2020; Polícia Militar do Estado de Goiás, 2017), alguns deles relacionados à criatividade(Beghetto et al., 2021;Davies et al., 2013;Eisenberg & Thompson, 2011;Fleith & Morais, 2017;Hughes et al., 2018;Runco et al., 2017). Vale ressaltar, ainda, que ambientes adversos ou restritivos podem constituir cenários que levem o indivíduo a superá-los, buscando alternativas e soluções para os problemas encontrados(Hennessey, 2019;Runco, 2017b;Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020).Ademais, é importante salientar que não há receitas definitivas para o estabelecimento de um ambiente promotor do desenvolvimento criativo. ...
As crenças que as pessoas mantêm sobre as próprias habilidades e características influenciam suas decisões e, muitas vezes, explicam sucessos e fracassos na solução de problemas, incluindo os que demandam criatividade. As crenças do self criativo atuam como preditores da realização criativa, sendo apontadas por estudiosos como importantes fatores subjacentes ao desenvolvimento e expressão da criatividade em distintos contextos, inclusive no escolar. Estudos teóricos brasileiros sugerem que a escola militar apresenta características que podem inibir a manifestação de habilidades associadas à criatividade. Questiona-se, portanto, em que medida as autocrenças criativas dos estudantes podem ser influenciadas pelo ambiente escolar. Nesse sentido, por meio de dois estudos, esta pesquisa buscou explorar as crenças do self criativo de estudantes de escolas civis e militares. O estudo 1 objetivou adaptar a Escala Breve do Self Criativo (EBSC; Short Scale for Creative-Self [SSCS]), que avalia Autoeficácia Criativa (AEC) e Identidade Pessoal Criativa (IPC), para estudantes brasileiros do ensino médio, reunindo evidências de validade fatorial, precisão e equivalência psicométrica. Participaram 253 estudantes do ensino médio do Distrito Federal, a maioria do sexo feminino (169; 66,8%) e oriundos de escolas militares (168; 66,4%), com idade média de 16,7 anos (DP = 0,92). Realizou-se previamente a adaptação da EBSC, mediante tradução e análise de evidências de validade de conteúdo. No estudo 1, a análise se deu em duas etapas. A primeira utilizou análise fatorial exploratória (AFE) para avaliar a estrutura fatorial, precisão, confiabilidade e replicabilidade da escala. A segunda etapa utilizou análise fatorial confirmatória multigrupo (AFCMG), a qual avaliou a equivalência psicométrica da EBSC para tipo de escola (civil e militar) e sexo (feminino e masculino). A AFE resultou em elevadas cargas fatoriais (de 0,70 a 0,93), baixas cargas fatoriais cruzadas (inferiores a 0,23), moderada correlação entre as variáveis (r = 0,46), índices de ajuste adequados (χ2 /gl = 1,97; RMSEA = 0,062; CFI = 0,992; TLI = 0,984), elevada confiabilidade (ICC = 0,92; α = 0,84) e boa replicabilidade (H-latent entre 0,80 e 0,94; H-observed entre 0,76 e 0,84). Os resultados da AFCMG demonstraram a invariância da EBSC entre os grupos definidos por tipo de escola e sexo, com ΔCFI < 0,010, ΔRMSEA < 0,015 e ΔSRMR < 0,03. Isso indicou uma manutenção significativa no ajuste entre os modelos de equivalência linear, métrico e escalar. Ao final do estudo 1, concluiu-se que a EBSC é um instrumento psicométrico apropriado para a avaliação da AEC e IPC de estudantes brasileiros do ensino médio. Além disso, essa escala é adequada para a comparação desses construtos entre estudantes brasileiros de ensino médio de escolas militares e civis de ambos os sexos. O objetivo do estudo 2 foi comparar estudantes de escolas militares e civis, do sexo masculino e feminino, quanto à AEF e IPC, além de verificar a interação entre essas variáveis e o tipo de escola e sexo. Participaram 230 estudantes do ensino médio de escolas públicas do Distrito Federal, a maioria do sexo feminino (151; 65,7%) e oriundos de escolas militares (163; 70,87%), com idade média de 16,15 anos (DP = 1,08). Os instrumentos foram a EBSC e um questionário sociodemográfico. Para a análise comparativa e de interação, utilizou-se a ANOVA, acompanhada por procedimentos de bootstrapping. Os resultados do estudo 2 não revelaram diferenças significativas de AEC relacionadas ao tipo de escola (F [1, 226] = 0,057, p = 0,811, ) ou sexo (F [1, 226] = 2,933, p = 0,088, = 0,013). Quando comparada a IPC dos estudantes, não se observaram diferenças significativas relacionadas ao tipo de escola (F [1, 226] = 0,085, p = 0,771, < 0,001). Entretanto, estudantes do sexo feminino apresentaram índices de IPC superiores (F [1, 226] = 4,082, p = 0,045, = 0,018) ao dos homens. Também não foi identificada interação significativa entre tipo de escola e sexo para a AEC e IPC. Portanto, para a amostra do estudo 2, as diferenças ambientais entre escolas civis e militares não resultaram necessariamente em variações da AEC e IPC. Nesse sentido, é possível que as restrições típicas do modelo militar de educação não impliquem necessariamente barreiras à criatividade. Com base nos resultados dos estudos, são propostos direcionamentos para promoção da criatividade no contexto escolar, bem como sugestões para estudos futuros.
... The Creative Thinking Skills Spectrum, as we have seen, imbues all of life because it is an expression of natural life and development. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that it is not 213 Runco, M., 2014, p. 9. 214 Runco, M., Acar, A. & Cayirdag, N., 2017. A closer look at the creativity gap and why students are less creative at school than outside of school. ...
... Creativity allows individuals to identify alternative problem-solving strategies with varied perspectives, spurring students' capacity to think adaptively [5]; make connections between different mathematical concepts; and think abstractly in generalizing mathematical concepts [6]. Individuals who are creative in mathematics can see the patterns, structures, and principles underlying complex mathematical problems, developing a more holistic understanding and applying mathematical concepts more broadly. ...
This study is a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and mathematical creativity. This meta-analysis included 21 studies with a total sample size of 11,621 participants and 33 effect sizes across the studies. Data analysis using a random effects model using the “meta” package (version 7.0-0) in R software version 4.3.0. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between self-efficacy and mathematical creativity (z=3.51;95% CI [0.09, 0.32], p<0.001). The influence of self-efficacy on mathematical creativity is included in the low category (re=0.21). These findings had no publication bias issues with Egger’s test (t=−0.03; p=0.978) and were stable against the impact of unpublished studies (Fail−safe N=5101; p<0.001). Meta-regression revealed two variables that showed significant results: measurement method (Q=11.17;df=2; p=0.0038) and study location (Q=372.41, df=9; p<0.0001). This study provides valuable information about the relationship between self-efficacy and mathematical creativity, but more research is needed to develop effective and efficient learning strategies.
... Furthermore, studies related to critical thinking skills (Akbıyık & Seferoğlu, 2006;Alper, 2010;Çakmak, 2010;Emir, 2012;Gök & Erdoğan, 2011;Hançer et al., 2003;Karagöl & Bekmezci, 2015;Kırıkkaya & Altan, 2011;Tural & Seçgin, 2012;Tümkaya et al., 2009) have generally focused on teachers and students as a collective group. Research on creative thinking has predominantly examined students and teachers across different educational levels (Erol & Taş, 2010;İşleyen & Küçük, 2013;Siew et al., 2017;Runco et al., 2017). Regarding teaching methods, techniques, and strategies related to creative thinking, several studies are available (Al-Shaikh &Alsalhi, 2023;Wible, 2020;Zhan et al., 2022). ...
This study examines the role of epistemological beliefs in moderating the relationship between critical and creative thinking among science teachers. It aims to explore how advancements in understanding knowledge influence these cognitive skills. The primary focus is on the extent to which epistemological beliefs impact critical and creative thinking, highlighting the need for a deeper grasp of knowledge to foster these skills. A mixed-methods approach is used, combining qualitative and quantitative data within a pragmatic framework to provide a comprehensive view. The sample includes science teachers from Selçuklu, Meram, and Karatay districts in Konya, Türkiye. Quantitative data were gathered using the Epistemological Beliefs Scale, the Critical Thinking Scale, and the Creative Thinking Scale. Results show that epistemological beliefs significantly influence critical and creative thinking, suggesting that these skills are closely tied to epistemological development. Qualitative findings support this, indicating that a solid epistemological foundation is essential for both types of thinking. Additionally, the study finds that authoritarian teaching methods suppress critical thinking, while student-centered strategies enhance it. To promote critical and creative thinking, science teachers should develop their epistemological beliefs and create an environment that encourages open discussion and diverse perspectives. Keywords: critical and creative thinking, epistemological development, mixed-methods research, science education
... Creativity has become one of the most sought-after skills. Nevertheless, schools have not effectively cultivated their students' creative potential [25]. Students are often expected to apply their creativity skills for idea generation and selection in project-based learning, but they are rarely taught how to do so in the classrooms. ...
AI-powered large language models are shaping a new era of learning. Students use AI chatbots for information search and idea inspiration. However, are students’ questioning skills effective enough to interact with an AI Chatbot? This study explores the interaction between students and ChatGPT on idea generation and identifies whether participants can effectively use AI chatbots to simulate creativity for idea generation. The results indicated that, rather than discussing their idea with AI Chatbot for suggestions and recommendations to enhance the existing ideas, many students ask AI to generate more ideas without providing directions. Participants reflected that ChatGPT provided generic ideas and were unsatisfied with its creativity. They are more positive towards using the question guide, developed using SCAMPER questioning technique combined with a narrative approach by the researcher, compared to ChatGPT because the question guide enables perspective-shifting to generate ideas from a new perspective.
... They also report behaviours consistent with research showing that daily creative activities promote positive affect and vitality (Conner et al., 2018;Conner & Silvia, 2015), and indicate that they spent more time doing creative activities during the pandemic (Karwowski et al. 2021). They tailor creative activities at home to their children's preferences as well as their own (Amabile, 1983;Hennessey, 2019;Runco et al. 2017Runco et al. , 2022, and sometimes use them as diversion strategies to help their children manage difficult emotions (Delabroux et al. 2008;Diliberto-Macaluso & Stubblefield, 2015). In summary, in both the French and UK cultural contexts, the parents report experiences that are consistent with theoretical views and empirical evidence from creativity research. ...
This thesis investigates the contribution of parent-child creative activities to young children's resilience, a topic that has received little attention in creativity research. Using a pragmatic methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, this multi-method doctoral project addresses three research questions: (a) Do parent-child creative activities contribute to young children's resilience factors? (b) What processes could explain the effects of parent-child creative activities in promoting young children's resilience factors? (c) What are the similarities and differences between two Western countries' (Great Britain and France)cultures that could account for the effects of creative activities on young children's resilience factors?
This thesis opens with a bibliometric network analysis review (n = 454), which highlights the scarcity of studies addressing resilience abilities in early childhood. It identifies that creativity research strongly tends (a) to be biased towards the study of creativity as a dependent variable rather than as a predictor; (b) tends to rarely address the outcomes of creative activities among the population of children aged between 3 and 6 years; and (c) tends to rarely study the effects of creative activities on resilience-related outcomes in general, and particularly among young children. Then, a systematic review (n = 26) provides evidence that creative activities may contribute to other resilience outcomes: positive parent-child relationships, positive emotions, reduced cortisol levels, and increased emotion regulation abilities. A meta-analysis (k = 9) further shows that creative activities strongly contribute to two other resilience factors: inhibition and school readiness. Moreover, it identifies a moderate effect size on working memory, another important factor in resilience promotion.
Aiming to understand more specifically dyadic and cross-cultural parent-child behaviours in creative activities, the thesis then reports the findings from a reflexive thematic analysis (n = 14). This study shows how and why parents in Great Britain and in France engage in dyadic creative activities with their children: according to them, creative activities are enjoyable, contribute to parent-child relationship quality, and the development of the child’s competence. While this cross-cultural qualitative study highlights similarities between the British and the French parent-child dyads, cross-sectional data (n = 169) identifies differences. Based on a scale designed for the purposes of this research (the Parent-Child Creative Activities Checklist), imagination activities (e.g., pretend play, story creation, Lego) and craft activities (e.g., drawing, painting, making) are associated with a positive parent-child relationship and low parent-child conflict in the British sample, but not in the French sample.
To understand why, cross-cultural comparisons were conducted to analyse moment-by-moment parent-child interactions during creative activities, using audio recordings provided by the parents (n = 17). A main difference lies in that British dyads appear more collaborative and more focused on idea elaboration than the French. This thesis concludes with a theoretical contribution and summary of this thesis’s findings, aiming to inform interventional research. Thus, the Parent-Child Creative Partnership model posits that, when parents adopt attitudes that support children’s basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (for instance by helping their children elaborate their ideas and by valorising their resulting creative productions), dyadic creative activities promote positive parent-child attachment, children's sense of self-efficacy, and self-image. Hence, this thesis shows how, when, and for whom dyadic parent-child creative activities contribute to important assets for immediate early childhood well-being, and future resilience.
... mining, petrol, agriculture) for which innovation was less critical. In particular, educational practices set up to foster high-delity learning of knowledge and skills may not be preparing students to habitually think creatively (see Runco et al., 2017; for empirical studies on relevant psychological processes, see Bonawitz et al., 2011;Wood et al., 2013). In part, the inadequacy of traditional schooling for preparing students for many new IT jobs is revealed by the fact that many tech companies do not require a college degree and that there is a proliferation of online platforms that teach programmingrelated skills. ...
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... According to Runco, learning achievement is not only obtained from good grades, but the creativity and potential of students outside the classroom are also part of their respective achievements (Runco, Acar, & Cayirdag, 2017). Sukmaswati et al., also said that a good madrasas climate not only affects student achievement and learning outcomes, but it also has a positive impact on student behavior (Sukmaswati, Lian, & Wardiah, 2020). ...
This study aims to determine the madrasa management strategy in creating a quality madrasa climate to improve the quality of Islamic education in Indonesia. The research method used is a mixed method, namely by combining quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data is in the form of the percentage of madrasa climate implementation. Qualitative data is in the form of descriptions of respondents' perceptions of the use of the madrasah climate. Respondents in this study were madrasa heads, educators, and employees in the madrasa environment, totaling 68 people. These respondents came from 7 provinces in Indonesia who were randomly selected based on region (cluster random sampling). Researchers analyzed quantitative data from the results of the questionnaire descriptively. Meanwhile, qualitative data analysis uses the Miles Huberman model. The results of this study indicate that 89.7% of respondents improve the quality of education services to produce a quality madrasah climate. There are 83.8% of madrasas that have the characteristics of forming a positive madrasa climate such as forming an Islamic culture, improving skills, developing students' interests and talents, and paying attention to character values. The implementation of this strategy is the result of collaboration between madrasa heads, educators, staff, and students. This is indicated by the successive percentages of 92%, 92.6% and 85.3%. The findings of this study reveal that the formation of a quality madrasah climate does not give up the values of religious moderation in the actualization of religion for students in the midst of religious pluralism in Indonesia.
... It is in line with the results of research conducted by Runco et al., which showed that students have creative potential, as evidenced by their creative activities and achievements outside of school. Still, this potential is not displayed when they are in school because there are usually more structures and restrictions in schools, and creativity requires autonomy and independence (Runco et al., 2017). Limitations and future research are discussed. ...
This research aims to describe the level of mathematical reasoning ability of students in solving mathematical Olympiad problems based on problem-solving of the Polya model. This study employed descriptive analysis with a qualitative approach. Data were collected by using observation, documentation, and interviews. The study subjects were 27 junior high school students participating in the National Science Competition in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Miles and Huberman analysis model was used as the data analysis. The results of this study indicated that: (1) the level of students’ mathematical reasoning-ability based on the problem-solving of Polya models in the category of "sufficiently competent" (high-group students), in the category of "less competent" (medium-group students), and in the category of "incompetent" (low-group students); (2) the most complex and rarely performed stages by students in Polya’s model were at the "devising a plan" and "looking back" stages; and (3) the Polya's model used in solving mathematical Olympiad test items was more suitable for those considered as routine-questions, and it was not suitable for non-routine questions. This study also showed that, on average, the students had difficulty finding initial ideas to start working on the test items.
... Creativity is an essential dimension that needs to be nurtured in students. Runco, Acar, & Cayirdag, (2017) stated that greater creativity increases an individual's ability to survive and thrive in various life circumstances. Additionally, creative thinking is a process that can only be developed gradually over a long time period (Yang & Cheng, 2010;Dollinger, 2007). ...
... While more comprehensive research is needed to determine the specific differences and overlap between creative problem solving and academic achievement, our results suggest that incorporating creative problem solving tasks into the curriculum does not lead to unnecessary overlap with other academic activities. In fact, it may provide a low-stakes alternative to high-stakes testing since these tasks require the exploration of multiple solutions rather than a single correct answer (Baer & Garrett, 2017;Runco et al., 2017). By regularly engaging in whole-group tasks like these with primary school students and reviewing their outcomes, teachers may be better able to determine and ultimately foster students' individual creative problem solving abilities. ...
... Cultivating students' creative thinking in normal school settings is a challenging task requiring a change in school ethos, teaching practices, and curricula [5]. Runco et al. (2017) [6] found a "creativity gap" in education. Students display more creativity in the activities occurring outside compared to in school. ...
italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:
This study represents the first systematic attempt to develop Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) integrated project-based learning (PBL) as a transdisciplinary teaching method for fostering students’ creativity and computational thinking (CT) skills.
Background: With the growing importance of creativity and CT skills in the modern world, there is a need for innovative teaching methods that can effectively nurture these abilities in students. This study explores the potential of integrating STEAM into PBL as a transdisciplinary teaching approach to address this need.
Intended Outcomes: The outcomes of this approach include significant improvements in various dimensions of students’ creativity (fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration) and enhanced CT skills, particularly in medium and hard tasks.
Application Design: The study involved 54 junior high school seventh-graders, with 28 students in the experimental group and 26 students in the comparison group. The experimental group was exposed to a semester of STEAM PBL, while the comparison group followed the regular curriculum.
Findings: After a semester of STEAM PBL, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in creativity dimensions, while the comparison group showed no significant changes. In terms of CT skills, the experimental group exhibited significant improvements in medium and hard tasks, whereas the comparison group did not. These results highlight the potential benefits of integrating STEAM into PBL as a transdisciplinary teaching approach for enhancing students’ creativity and CT skills. The implications for educational practice and future research are discussed in depth.</p
... Imagination is also a key component of the creative skills needed to solve novel problems (Sternberg 1999), as exploration and evaluation can result in novel and useful outcomes (Chylińska and Gut 2020). While creativity broadly conceived is valued and prioritized in current preschool curricula, particularly in the arts, the specific cognitive skills that support creative thinking are less attended to in the classroom, although their role in academic learning has been recognized for decades (e.g., Beghetto and Kaufman 2010;Grigorenko et al. 2008;Grigorenko 2019;Runco et al. 2017;Tan and Grigorenko 2010). BELLA is designed to address this gap in two aspects: by presenting children with novel problems, and by asking them to consider that there is more than one possible "good" response to questions. ...
In this article, we propose that basic cognitive skills may be fostered and assessed in early childhood educational (pre-K) settings using a technology-based approach to assessment. BELLA (Bilingual English Language Learner Assessment), designed for use with both monolingual (English or Spanish speaking) and bilingual (English and Spanish speaking) children, is designed to attend to cognitive skill development in addition to (pre-)academic knowledge. Specifically, BELLA assesses analytical, creative, and practical thinking in 3–5-year-old children through unique item content and delivery. BELLA is among the first tablet-based pre-K assessments designed to assess cognitive skills needed for the era of the Anthropocene.
... Jest to wzmacniane przez oczekiwania formułowane przez nauczycieli, którzy nie lubią cech twórczych u ucznia, a raczej preferują te, które wiążą się z przestrzeganiem norm społecznych. Dla dorosłych kreatywni uczniowie to osoby impulsywne i destrukcyjne (Pugsley, Selcur 2018), także sama szkoła, jako system narzucający strukturę, ogranicza i zniechęca do podejmowania działań twórczych na rzecz tych konformistycznych i wpisujących się w ramy instytucji (Runco, Acar, Cayirdag 2017). Dziecko nietwórcze, podporządkowane, to dziecko bardziej dopasowane społecznie -w tym kontekście twórczość nie jest pożądaną społecznie wartością. ...
Celem tego artykuł jest analiza, w jaki sposób przejawiany w dzieciństwie potencjał twórczy rozwinął się w okresie późnego dzieciństwa i adolescencji oraz jakie postawy wobec potencjału twórczego swoich dzieci wykazują rodzice. Zastosowano metodę wywiadu jakościowego. Przeprowadzono badania na próbie 33 rodziców, wyłonionych z poprzednich badań. W pierwszym badaniu (rok 2013) zadeklarowali, że ich dzieci posiadają potencjał twórczy, a w drugim (lata 2020–2021) opisywali, w jakim zakresie potencjał ten się rozwinął. Wyniki badań wskazują, że obszary, w których ujawniał się potencjał twórczy dzieci, są kontynuowane w wieku młodzieńczym, chociaż część młodych ludzi zaniechała rozwoju swych pasji twórczych lub znalazła ich ujście w innych dziedzinach niż miało to miejsce w dzieciństwie. Pojedyncze osoby charakteryzuje rozwój zdolności kierunkowych na bardzo wysokim poziomie, co wiąże się także z wysokim poziomem aktywności twórczych w danej dziedzinie (np. muzyka, plastyka, działania społeczne, aktorstwo, matematyka). Rodzice wobec twórczości swoich dzieci reprezentują cztery postawy: wspierającą, obojętną, zniechęconą lub ukierunkowaną na radzenie sobie z trudnościami dziecka.
... The researcher agreed with 8 that students from high social-economic backgrounds are well exposed to scholastic materials which aid their intelligence and enhance their creativity level. [9] found that students are more creative when outside the school environment. ...
This study examined the demographic indicators of creativity among undergraduates of universities in Kwara state, Nigeria. The study specifically determined the creativity level of the respondents and how they have differed on the bases of demographic factors. Using the descriptive survey design, proportionate sampling technique was used to select the respondents from the two Universities. A self-designed creativity scale was used to collect data and the data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and a 2-way and 3-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results of the study showed that Undergraduates of Universities in Kwara State have an average level of creativity and the respondents were similar in their level of creativity based demographic variables (gender, residence, level of study and course of study); while they have differed on the basis of parents' educational attainment. It was recommended among others that stakeholders in the Nigerian education system should equip universities resources that can nurture innate potentials of students (irrespective of the demographic factors) to enable them to become highly creative individuals.
... A motivação é uma força transformadora que inclui o senso de si e o senso do que o indivíduo almeja realizar, mantendo-o ativo para estabelecer as habilidades ou 5 informações essenciais e trazer uma atitude mental que permite que os requisitos da tarefa aconteçam (Runco et al., 2016;Runco, 2017). Além disso, é mais provável que o indivíduo seja mais criativo quando motivado intrinsecamente pela tarefa, através do interesse, prazer, satisfação e desafio, ou enquanto sentir que sua atividade tem significado (Amabile, 2012). ...
This chapter constitutes an exploratory study that aims to present a critical analysis of creativity in an educational context, more specifically in Higher Education. This chapter aimed to identify the main elements for stimulating creativity in the classroom. To this end, we sought to understand how the creative potential of students is defined and to emphasize the relationship between the student and the educational context, namely the classroom and the teacher, which exert great influence on creative development. Finally, the results of the exploratory study are presented, as well as new challenges for contemporary teachers and future perspectives regarding the stimulation of creativity and its possible impact on Education.
... It can be hypothesized that some of its orders stimulate creativity while others limit it. For example, while emphasizing control, especially related to dress code, individual presentation and conduct, values and skills are also encouraged, such as mutual respect, conscious discipline, initiative, meritocracy, trust, leadership and autonomy, some of them related to creativity (Beghetto, 2021;Fleith & Morais, 2017;Runco et al., 2017). It is also worth mentioning that adverse or restrictive environments can constitute scenarios that lead the individual to overcome them, seeking alternatives and solutions to the problems found (Hennessey, 2019;Schunk & DiBenedetto, 2020). ...
Creative Self-Efficacy (CSE) and Creative Personal Identity (CPI) are creative selfbeliefs which act as creative achievement predictors in different contexts, including school. Brazilian theoretical studies suggest that characteristics of military school can inhibit creative expression. The question is raised whether the school environment can influence CSE and CPI. Therefore, the goal was to compare male and female students from military and civilian schools, in terms of CSE and IPC, in addition to verifying the interaction between the variables. Participants were 230 secondary school students, with a mean age of 16.07 years (SD = .92). The Short Scale of Creative Self (SSCS) and a sociodemographic questionnaire were used. No significant differences or interactions were observed, except for the higher IPC in women when compared to men. Thus, it is possible that the typical restrictions of the military model of education do not necessarily imply barriers to creativity.
... Creativity and its development in learners have been a significant priority for education globally, and its impact on life beyond schooling (Cremin, 2017;Magenes et al., 2022;Runco et al., 2017). It has gained recognition as one of the primary competencies in contemporary education (Swanzy-Impraim et al., 2022) and is emerging in curricula as an assessable competency (Ministry of Education [MOE], 2019;School Curriculum & Standards Authority, 2015, 2017. ...
Drawing on the Four C Model of Creativity and Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) as frameworks, the multi-site qualitative case study explored the creative practice of 16 Ghanaian secondary visual arts teachers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, as the 2019 National Pre-Tertiary Curriculum Framework mandates creativity. The researchers used the interpretivist and constructivist paradigms for the study, which employed interviews, documents review and participant observations to gather data from eight secondary schools. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, with two categories of teachers emerging: teacher-practitioners and non-teacher-practitioners. The practising teachers were categorised under little-c and Pro-c—none fell within the Big-C category. Practising teachers were seen to be more successful in enacting creativity in their teaching practice, meeting the aims of the curriculum framework. We recommend that education providers and stakeholders should encourage the artistic practice of visual arts teachers and make it an integral part of professional practice.
... TOM supports STEM learning (Tytler et al. et al., 2008) as well as visual and creative processes (Morris & Coleman, 2019;Swanzy-Impraim et al., 2022), with opportunities for social constructivist learning (Basbug, 2020;Vygotsky, 1978). Therefore, creativity and teamwork are an expectation (Joynes et al., 2019;Leggett, 2017;Runco et al., 2017;Swanzy-Impraim et al., 2022); however, creativity in STEM or the Arts needs to be framed by an authentic context to transform learning. Inquiry-based approaches for STEM education or other disciplinary inquiry requires multiple skills and understandings across integrated disciplines (Australian Academy of Science, 2021;STEM Learning, 2023;Tytler et al., 2008). ...
The Australian Tournament of Minds (TOM) is an annual collaborative problem-solving challenge for student teams inclusive of Years 3–10. TOM develops 21st century skills (21CS) of creativity,
critical thinking, communication, and collaboration (4Cs) as identified by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). TOM challenges accommodate student teams
with an enthusiasm for the Arts, Language Literature, Social Sciences, and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. The research employed a correlational design using quantitative
ANOVA to explore relationships between thinking processes and collaboration in producing creative answers. The data (N = 1445 teams) was collected from the Australian and New Zealand
teams of seven students participating in a five-minute spontaneous divergent thinking challenge in 2019. The data reported operational differences between the teams to generate creative outcomes. STEM teams saw enhanced collaborative thinking compared to other teams in a common challenge. The data has implications for teacher-initiated collaboration pedagogy in different learning areas.
... Creative thinking is included as a key competence in education policies (Lucas and Spencer, 2017;OECD, 2017;2019). At the same time, research has revealed a decline in creative competencies due to, for example, technological developments but also because of a trend toward more conformist educational systems since the 1990s, that push towards more conservative, norm-favouring thinking styles (Kim, 2011;Runco et al., 2017;Sternberg, 2007;Sternberg and Lubart, 1995). Such thinking is necessary in tasks with rather convergent, concentration-requiring, or intelligence-related demands (Kim and Pierce, 2013;Zhu and Zhang, 2011). ...
We aim to extend the body of research on boredom as a potentially creativity-enhancing state. Therefore, 124 students were assigned to one of five 6-minute interventions (boredom-discomfort, boredom-equanimity, boredom-continuation, joy, and concentration) and the effects on figural as well as verbal fluency and diversity as measures of creativity were examined. It was verified whether the emotional state changed during the intervention. In addition, the emotional dimensions, valence, arousal, and alertness were controlled before and after the test. Boredom-discomfort, joy, and concentration altered the emotion experienced during the intervention in the intended way. The boredom-equanimity and boredom-continuation groups served as control conditions for various boredom states, and less boredom resulted for subjects in these groups. Figural and verbal measures of creativity were differently influenced by the interventions. For verbal fluency, we obtained a significant interaction between time and group, in particular, the performance differed between the intervention with either concentration, or joy. Verbal creativity decreased after intervention in all groups, most for joy and boredom-discomfort groups and least for concentration. In contrast, figural performance increased in four groups, most for boredom-discomfort but not for concentration. Subsequent analyses revealed significant interaction effects between time and group with respect to both verbal and figural measures of creativity. The interventions had not only short-term effects on subjects' emotions but also, in some cases, a significant longer-term impact on emotion dimensions at the end of the study. After discussing methodological aspects, conclusions are drawn for further research approaches.
... The TED talk by the late Sir Ken Robinson about how schools kill creativity (Robinson 2006) and his writings attracted considerable attention over the years. Focusing on the creativity gap, Runco et al. (2017) studied a population of undergraduate students and found that they were less creative at school than when in other contexts. They found that creative potential was evident outside of school but was not used once on the school premises. ...
Policymakers and employers insist that educational institutions prepare workforce-ready candidates fluent in the application of 21st Century Skills such as creativity. So far, only a few studies have explored the self-perceived creativity of students. This paper addresses this gap in literature by providing an understanding of how young students in upper primary feel about themselves as creative beings. Data for the present study was collected through an anonymous online survey that 561 students, aged 9–11 years and residing in Malta (EU), completed. In-depth responses were collected from a subset of the original sample made up of 101 students through an anonymous online form containing a set of questions. Data was analysed using regression analysis for the quantitative component and through thematic analysis for the qualitative part. Results indicate that, overall, students in Year 6 felt less creative than students in Year 5. Furthermore, findings show that the type of school attended impacted the students’ perception of creativity. From a qualitative perspective, findings led to insights into (i) the interpretation of the term creativity and (ii) the impact of the school environment and how timetabling impacted students’ creativity. The findings suggest that the student’s perceived creative personal identity and the concrete manifestations that they engage in are influenced by environmental factors.
... A roadmap guided the development of more than 105 interventions within the three-year project period. The idea in a nutshell: why are students more creative in their leisure time than in school and how can school be designed to provide the same research environment as creative leisure time [24][25][26][27]? ...
The integration of arts in science education (STEAM) aims to provide innovative activities to reach deeper learning levels and generally promote student engagement in (science) education. The European Horizon 2020 project CREATIONS with 16 partner institutions addresses this challenge with more than 100 initiatives over three years. All initiatives followed our STEAM guidelines based on the fundamental principles of responsible research and innovation (RRI). The positive effects of STEAM on cognition and motivation were evident in all initative with a sufficient empirical database.
Besides the intention to integrate creativity, our study focused on flow, that experience of total immersion and exhilarating absorption in an activity that is experienced as effortlessly mastered. The productivity resulting from the self-rewarding creative rush makes flow particularly interesting.
This chapter contributes to the open question of how flow is triggered with an exemplary meta-analysis of motivation and creativity scores of ten interventions ranging from complex projects at CERN to art-centred, play-based, laboratory-oriented projects or almost classical school initiatives. The regression analysis decoded self-efficacy as the crucial factor enabling the flow experience - which was demonstrated in this study for the first time, moreover, in a variety of age groups in the context of classroom activities.
Creativity and entrepreneurship are fundamental to the personal and professional development of new generations and for social progress in general. The primary aim of this study was to analyze changes in the creative and entrepreneurial self‐efficacy of undergraduates as they progress through university, and to examine whether these trajectories are influenced by gender. We also explored the impact of engagement on students' creative and entrepreneurial self‐efficacy. The sample comprised 200 undergraduates attending a Spanish university, all of whom completed various measures in Years 1 and 4 of their degree program. Results showed an increase in creative self‐efficacy over time, but no change in entrepreneurial self‐efficacy. Gender had no effect on these trajectories. Two dimensions of student engagement were found to be associated with an increase in both creative and entrepreneurial self‐efficacy by the end of undergraduate study. From a practical point of view, the findings suggest the need to promote learning experiences involving participation in high‐impact practices and reflective and integrative learning.
This study aims to explore the impact of STEAM teaching activities that incorporate local environmental awareness on university students’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB), and scientific creativity. The teaching activity design of this study was centered on “designing livable housing in Taiwan”, and a total of four projects were designed. This research included university students (N=66) who were divided into a control group (n=33) and an experimental group (n=33). The experimental group added videos on local environmental awareness such as “local disasters and local household interview news”. The students were required to fill out the “Scientific Creativity Questionnaire” and “PEB Scale” before and after the teaching activities. The results of the study indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test for the sub-dimensions of "Green Behavior," "Global Warming Awareness," "Environmental Social Interaction," "Informal Environmental Education," and "Environmental Attitude." This suggests that incorporating local environmental awareness materials into STEAM teaching activities is more effective in enhancing university students' PEB compared to standard STEAM teaching activities. Additionally, both groups showed improvements in overall scientific creativity after participating in the different activities, particularly in the areas of fluency and flexibility. However, ANCOVA analysis revealed no significant difference in scientific creativity between the two groups in the post-test. The results indicated that the integration of local environmental awareness materials was not the primary factor contributing to improvements in scientific creativity. This study recommends that higher education lectures integrate both environmental awareness and scientific content into curriculum design to strengthen students' overall competencies. Keywords: local environmental awareness, quantitative research, pro-environmental behavior (PEB), scientific creativity, STEAM
The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the Predict‐Explain‐Observe‐Discuss‐Explain (PEODE)‐based laboratory on enhancing the verbal and figural creativity of gifted students. The quasi‐experimental research design utilised a pre‐ and post‐test approach with a non‐equivalent control group, consisting of 60 sixth‐grade gifted students. The participants were randomly assigned into two groups: the experimental group (EG; n = 30) and the control group (CG; n = 30). During the study, the control group underwent traditional laboratory tasks, whereas the experimental group participated in PEODE‐based laboratory tasks. Both groups engaged in laboratory work for a total of 16 h. Data were collected using the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) scale, and statistical analysis methods were applied. The results revealed significant differences in favour of the EG regarding both verbal and figural creativity. These findings suggest that the PEODE‐based laboratory approach can effectively enhance the creative abilities of gifted students.
When we talk about the relationship between creativity and crisis, there is a temptation to ask the simple question of whether crisis helps creativity. As many simple questions, this one does not have a simple answer. Contributions to this volume collectively suggest that perhaps this question is not the most helpful one we can ask. Rather, both the scientific and practice communities interested in creativity in the times of crisis would be better served if we asked what kinds of crises stimulate creativity and under which circumstances. In this chapter, we examine what we need to know to start addressing this revised question. The chapter is organized in three parts. First, we review different definitions of crisis and examine specific features of crises. Next, we add the unknown of creativity into the equation. We do not discuss creativity as a unitary construct (Ivcevic, 2022; Reiter-Palmon & Millier, 2023), but acknowledge that it includes different aspects and levels and that these creativities can be differentially related to crises. Finally, we focus on what still remains to be answered and propose directions for future research.
Children's museums are a distinct type of museum—one particularly poised to engage and support the development of Lifelong Competencies that will help children live into their own successful and fulfilling futures. Understudied in the children's museum, which one(s) they prioritize is largely unknown, and, thus, so is their optimization. This work draws upon the important communication tool of institutional mission statements. Frequency analysis of the terms in 321 American children's museum mission statements (Study A) identified that children's museums prioritize the Lifelong Competencies of creativity and curiosity. Thematic analysis of the 119 mission statements that included these terms (Study B) indicated that children's museums' intended practice for achieving creativity and curiosity is through experiences, environments, and play with a focus on hands‐on and interactive elements, family‐friendly features, eliciting a positive affect, and experiences that are educational and innovative. Furthermore, creativity and curiosity are primarily valued as mediators toward learning.
Divergent thinking (DT) tests are often used to estimate creative potential. They have sound theoretical bases, good reliability, and moderate predictive validity. One previous study that sampled gifted and nongifted children tested the interactions among DT indices (fluency, originality, and flexibility) in the predictive equation and reported a respectable validity coefficient of .59. Two meta-analyses have also supported the use of DT tests as estimates of creative potential, but neither of these examined interactions among the DT indices. The present correlational, group-comparison (N = 312) investigation (a) replicated the 1986 study and examined interactions among the three DT indices and (b) extended that research by using two newer criterion measures. One was the Creative Activity and Accomplishment Checklist (CAAC) which had been updated such that it includes scales for Technological, Athletic, and Everyday creativity, in addition to scales for Art, Science & Math, Writing, and Music. The updated CAAC also used a new method for assessing the quality of creative accomplishment (in addition to the quantity of creative activity). A final novel feature of the present investigation was the use of a second criterion, one that was developed specifically for research on DT. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the fluency X originality and flexibility X originality interactions were significantly related to the Quantity of creativity activity score. Giftedness, fluency, and the fluency X originality interaction were significantly related to the Quality score. Canonical correlation analyses indicated a predictive validity of .73 (p <.001) for the total sample. One clear conclusion is therefore that predictions from DT tests should take interactions into account. These findings are discussed in the context of theories which recognize creativity as an important part of giftedness and theories which suggest that several facets of DT need to be taken into account when assessing creative cognition.
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The stereotype of an expert is someone who thoroughly understands a field, such as mathematics, and has a great deal of experience in that field. Are there individuals who are exceptional in two or more fields? Sometimes there are people who are good at more than one thing and labeled some sort of "Leonardo". Leonardo da Vinci was certainly exceptional at art, engineering, medicine, and so on, but it was easier in the Renaissance to master more than one field. The amount of information in all fields was much less than today. And yet, even today there are polymaths. A polymath has a high level of skill in more than one field. This entry discusses examples of polymathy, the various definitions of polymathy, and the debates concerning polymathy.
In recent years, there was a significant increase in empirical research on fostering student creativity in after-school settings; however, there was no systematic review of the impact of after-school programs (ASP) on student creativity. The aim of this study was to systematically interpret the impact of ASP on student creativity with meta-analysis. This study brought together 25 experimental or quasi-experimental studies and 33 effect sizes. The findings suggested that ASP have a moderate positive impact on K-12 students’ creativity (Hedge’s = 0.674, 95% CI: 0.513–0.836). Subgroup analyses found that interventions of 0–7 days and 3–5 months had the best effects, with similar best effects in preschool and mixed ASP; the effects were similar across gender and time frame. On this basis, we analyzed the mechanisms or causes of the moderating variables affecting K-12 students’ creativity and discussed measures to enhance students’ creativity by constructing a blended ASP curriculum, optimizing the design of the project time, and focusing on creativity development of students in the lower grades.
Assumptions around the association between boredom and creativity are contentious. Although studies suggest positive effects of boredom, it is also considered a negative predictor of creativity. Researchers also assume that creativity reduces boredom, but boredom can also occur during creative tasks. In this review, we identify and systematise the empirical evidence available to date on the association between creativity and boredom in educational contexts. The string‐guided electronic search yielded 2849 publications. Nineteen publications based on 27 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers extracted definitions, theories, methods, operationalisations, measurement instruments, and outcomes from the studies using a coding scheme. We identified a range of different theoretical and methodological approaches. The largest cache of empirical evidence was obtained from experimental and quasi‐experimental studies (five positive associations, four negative, two contradictory, and three insignificant results). Correlation studies identified three negative, one contradictory, and seven insignificant correlations between boredom and creativity. In addition, two studies with exploratory, statistically not relevant results contributed to the body of research. The results from the identified and evaluated studies argue both for and against the sensitivity of creative processes in relation to boredom—but a clear causal, positive or negative effect of boredom on creativity is not currently supported by the empirical evidence available. Previous research has also not yet demonstrated an apparent effect of creative states or traits on academic boredom. Future research should aim to explore under what circumstances different relationships between boredom and creativity can be observed and reliably replicated.
Creativity can be assessed using various methods, including divergent thinking performance, self-ratings, and teacher ratings. However, these measures may not always align, as they may not consistently identify creative potential in the same manner. The present study aimed to identify latent subgroups of students based on their observed originality, creative self-efficacy, teacher- rated originality, academic achievement in reading and mathematics, and demographic background characteristics. Data were collected from 243 elementary school students. We applied the normal mixture technique to classify participants into latent subgroups. Five latent subgroups of students were identified: Overconfident Low Performers, Creative High Achievers, Under-Confident Below Average Achievers, Mathematically Oriented Students, and Calibrated Above-Average Achievers. Female students tended to fall disproportionately into the subgroup of Creative High Achievers. Students receiving free/reduced lunch had a lower probability of being Creative High Achievers. Special education students had a higher probability of falling into the subgroup Overconfident Low Performers. Teacher-ratings of students’ originality were more in line with student academic performance rather than with their performance-based originality scores. Students’ self-ratings of creativity bifurcated across subgroups, with Creative High Achievers and Overconfident Low Performers reporting the highest self-ratings of originality, despite displaying very different levels of performance on the divergent thinking assessment.
This study examined domain specificity among 306 high-school students using the Creative Activity and Accomplishment Checklist (CAAC). The CAAC provides both the quantity of activity and quality of accomplishment scores, allowing an empirical test of possible polymathy among students, some of whom were gifted. Polymathy occurs when an individual performs creatively in more than one domain. This investigation’s two objectives were to replicate domain specificity studies with the newest version of the CAAC, which included new domains (i.e., technological and everyday creativity) and quality and quantity scores, and to use it to test for polymathy among students. Previous work with adults suggested that polymaths are creative in multiple domains. They often invest in creative avocations that support their professional creativity. Some evidence of polymathy was uncovered; however, it was not common in this sample. Support for domain specificity was reasonably clear in the present results, yet it was not all-or-nothing but rather a matter of degree. Domains overlapped to varying amount. The amount of overlap varied with the level of talent and from domain to domain. The clearest support for polymathy came from regression analyses which revealed a significant relationship between the quantity of activity in some domains and the quality of creative accomplishment in others. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
This study examined domain specificity among 306 high-school students using the Creative Activity and Accomplishment Checklist (CAAC). The CAAC provides both quantity of activity and quality of accomplishment scores, allowing an empirical test of possible polymathy among students, some of whom were gifted. The two objectives of this investigation were to replicate domain specificity studies with the newest version of the CAAC (which covers new domains, including technological and everyday creativity, and includes quality and quantity scores) and to use it to test for polymathy among students. Previous work with adults suggested that polymaths are creative in more than one domain. They often invest in creative avocations that support their professional creativity. Some evidence of polymathy was uncovered; however, it was not common in this sample. Support for domain specificity was reasonably clear in the present results, yet it was not all-or-nothing but rather a matter of degree. Domains overlapped to varying degrees. The degree of overlap varied with level of talent and from domain to domain. The clearest support for polymathy came from regression analyses which revealed a significant relationship between the quantity of activity in some domains and the quality of creative accomplishment in others. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
The aim of this study is to improve mothers' scientific literacy and children's scientific creativity through science practices based on mother-child interaction. For this purpose, a training program based on mother-child interaction and including scientific experiments and activities that can be done at home and at school was prepared. The study was designed in a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group within the framework of quantitative research methodology. The participants were 62 mothers and their children (62 children) who had primary school 4th grade level children in a public primary school. The data of the 6-month study were collected with the Scientific Literacy Test and the Scientific Creativity Test. The results obtained from the study indicate that the science practices training program based on mother-child interaction increased the scientific literacy level of mothers. In addition, it was concluded that mother-child interactive activities were more effective in children's scientific creativity dimensions such as scientific imagination, creative experimental ability and creative scientific product design skill. Also, it was determined that the children of mothers with high levels of scientific literacy showed higher success in all sub-dimensions of scientific creativity compared to their controls. Keywords: Mother training program, mother-child interaction, scientific literacy, scientific creativity in primary school.
De onderzoeksvragen die centraal staan in dit artikel zijn: welk oordeel hebben techniekstudenten over het creatief klimaat van hun opleiding, in welke mate hangt dit beoordeelde klimaat samen met hun gerapporteerde creatieve prestaties en welke suggesties doen zij ter verbetering van dit klimaat? Is er sprake van een interactie-effect tussen creativiteit als kenmerk van de student en als kenmerk van het onderwijsklimaat? Na het definiëren van creativiteit en creatief klimaat is een censussteekproef uitgezet onder hbo-techniekstudenten. 1075 van hen vulden een online vragenlijst in, waaruit bleek dat het mogelijk was creatief klimaat en zelf gerapporteerde creatieve prestaties op een betrouwbare manier te meten. Creativiteit als kenmerk van studenten hun persoonlijkheid en het onderwijsklimaat bleken beide een positief en betekenisvol effect op creatieve prestaties te hebben, maar een interactie tussen beide variabelen bleef uit. Na een verklaring voor deze uitkomsten volgen aanbevelingen voor vervolgonderzoek.
Nessa obra, apresentamos uma seleção de temas relacionados à educação e inclusão. A inclusão de alunos com deficiência intelectual na educação básica do ensino fundamental é um dos temas importantes em destaque, assim como a utilização da Língua Brasileira de Sinais para ouvintes na educação profissional e tecnológica, como uma experiência de inclusão comunicativa. Além disso, discutimos a importância do atendimento educacional especializado para estudantes com comportamento de altas habilidades/superdotação no Distrito Federal e o transtorno do espectro do autismo na legislação educacional e nos projetos político-pedagógicos da educação básica. Também abordamos a diversidade sexual e fobias na escola, refletindo sobre a aplicação da diversidade sexual na escola e a discriminação e preconceito contra os LGBTs na educação. Além disso, analisamos os desafios da educação brasileira no contexto do capital, especialmente após a pandemia da COVID-19. Outros temas de destaque incluem a verticalização na educação, as concepções de criatividade por educadores do ensino fundamental, a importância da formação continuada dos professores e a busca pela autonomia no processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Também discutimos a educação do campo, a sociologia do corpo, o papel do professor na construção da linguagem oral e escrita na educação infantil, o sentir e o pensar para o exercício da cidadania e outras discussões didática e pedagógica.
Nessa obra, apresentamos uma seleção de temas relacionados à educação e inclusão. A inclusão de alunos com deficiência intelectual na educação básica do ensino fundamental é um dos temas importantes em destaque, assim como a utilização da Língua Brasileira de Sinais para ouvintes na educação profissional e tecnológica, como uma experiência de inclusão comunicativa. Além disso, discutimos a importância do atendimento educacional especializado para estudantes com comportamento de altas habilidades/superdotação no Distrito Federal e o transtorno do espectro do autismo na legislação educacional e nos projetos político-pedagógicos da educação básica. Também abordamos a diversidade sexual e fobias na escola, refletindo sobre a aplicação da diversidade sexual na escola e a discriminação e preconceito contra os LGBTs na educação. Além disso, analisamos os desafios da educação brasileira no contexto do capital, especialmente após a pandemia da COVID-19. Outros temas de destaque incluem a verticalização na educação, as concepções de criatividade por educadores do ensino fundamental, a importância da formação continuada dos professores e a busca pela autonomia no processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Também discutimos a educação do campo, a sociologia do corpo, o papel do professor na construção da linguagem oral e escrita na educação infantil, o sentir e o pensar para o exercício da cidadania e outras discussões didática e pedagógica.
Gezegenimizin giderek karmaşıklaşan yaşam koşuları ve beraberinde getirdiği problemler; bunun yanında teknolojide ve bilimde ortaya çıkan yeniliklerde değişen yaşam algımız; gün ve gün içinde yaşadığımız toplumda problemlerin çözümünü zorlaştırmaktadır. Bu kapsamda bilimin ve teknolojinin araçlarını kullanarak farklı olay ve olgular arasında bağlantı kurabilen, daha karmaşık problemleri algılayan, çok yönlü düşünebilen ve bunlara yaratıcı çözümler üreten bireylere ihtiyaç vardır. Bilim, Teknoloji, Mühendislik ve Matematik) alanlarına Sanat (A) eğitiminin entegre edildiği STEAM bütünleşik öğrenme modelini bu çerçevede en kapsamlı öğrenme ve problem çözme modellerinden biri olarak karşımızda durmaktadır. Bu model, ülkelerin kalkınmasını ve ilerlemesinde belirleyici roller üstlenecek üstün/özel yetenekli öğrencilerin eğitiminde, yaratıcı beceri, fikir ve ürünlerin geliştirilmesinde potansiyel fırsatları barındırmaktadır. Bu ihtiyaçlar çerçevesinde temellenen bu çalışmada, üstün/özel yetenekli öğrencilerde STEAM bütünleşik öğrenme modeli ile gerçekleştirilen öğretimlerin yaratıcılık üzerine etkisini olup olmadığı ele alınmıştır. Araştırmanın yöntemi, konu hakkında güncel araştırmalardan temellenen bir alanyazın taramasıyla oluşan bir derlemedir. Bu derleme çalışmasında, STEAM bütünleşik öğrenme modelinin, farklı disiplinlerin entegrasyonu yoluyla, çok yönlü zihinsel bağlantılar kurarak üstün/özel bireylerin yaratıcılığını desteklediği ortaya koyulmuştur. Eğitimin her kademesinde çok yönlü beceri ve zihinsel bağlantı gelişimi destekleyen bu modelin, öğretim ortamlarında yerinde ve anlamlı olarak daha çok kullanılması ve daha yoğun olarak gelecek eğitim araştırmalarına konu olması beklenmektedir.
Divergent thinking (DT) tests are probably the most common-ly used measures of creative potential. Several extensive batteries are available but most research relies on one or two specific tests rather than a complete battery. This may limit generalizations because tests of DT are not equivalent. They are not always highly inter-correlated. Additionally, some DT tests appear to be better than others at eliciting originality. This is critical because originality is vital for creativity. The primary purpose of the present study was to determine which test of DT elicits the most originality. Seven measures of DTwere administered on a sample of 611 participants in eight Arabic countries. The tests were Figural, Titles, Realistic Pre-sented Problems, Realistic Problem Generation, Instances, Uses, and Similarities. The Quick Test of Convergent Think-ing, Runco’s Ideational Behavior Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were also administered. A linear mixed model analysis confirmed that the originality scores in the DT tests differed by test. Post-hoc tests indicated that the Titles and Realistic Problem Generation tests produced the highest mean originality scores, whereas the Realistic Presented Problems test produced the lowest mean originality scores. These differences confirm that research using only one DT test will not provide generalizable results.
The general objective of this study was to reexamine two views of creativity, one positing that there is a general creative capacity or talent and the other that creativity is domain-specific. These two views were compared by (a) testing correlations among measures of domain-general and domain-specific creativity and (b) examining how the general and the specific measures was each related to indices of knowledge, motivation, and personality. Participants were 147 college students enrolled in a foreign language course. Data were collected on participants’ domain knowledge, motivation, and creative personality, as well as four measures representing “General or Domain-Specific Creative Ideation” or “Creative Performance and Activity”. Results indicated that the four measures of creativity were correlated with one another, except for “General Performance and Activity” and “Domain-Specific Ideation.” A canonical correlation indicated that knowledge, motivation, and personality were significantly correlated with the four creativity measures (Rc = .49, p < .01). Multiple regressions uncovered particular relationships consistent with the view that creativity has both general and domain-specific contributions. Limitations, such as the focus on one domain, and future directions are discussed.
Attitude change as the precursor to creativity enhancement schemas develop from interconnections of ideas and grow into complex, organized mental structures of information (Anderson, 1977; Piaget, 1926). The growth of schemata may occur over a series of experiences and often become engrained in our implicit cognitive processing. Although schema development may be flexible, it is very difficult to completely change them, even in light of contradictory evidence (see Palmer, 1981; Wheatley & Wegner, 2001). This causes particular concern among educational psychologists because many schemata may be inaccurate or based on partially incorrect information. The result can be a mental framework firmly rooted in misinformation. Creativity is not immune from inaccurate schema representations. Creativity, which is defined as “the interaction among aptitude, process, and environment by which an individual or group produces a perceptible product that is both novel and useful as defined within a social context” (Plucker, Beghetto, & Dow, 2004, p. 90, emphasis in original), is plagued by implicit myths that, in our view, have led to inaccurate schemata on a mass scale. These schemata are problematic because there appears to be no shortage of areas in which creativity can be applied constructively to improve people's lives and, perhaps more important, areas in which people can use creativity to improve their own lives. However, few educators address divergent thinking, creativity, and innovation in primary, secondary, or postsecondary education, areas that are generally considered to be ripe for helping students develop schema.
The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity is a comprehensive scholarly handbook on creativity from the most respected psychologists, researchers and educators. This handbook serves both as a thorough introduction to the field of creativity and as an invaluable reference and current source of important information. It covers such diverse topics as the brain, education, business, and world cultures. The first section, 'Basic Concepts', is designed to introduce readers to both the history of and key concepts in the field of creativity. The next section, 'Diverse Perspectives of Creativity', contains chapters on the many ways of approaching creativity. Several of these approaches, such as the functional, evolutionary, and neuroscientific approaches, have been invented or greatly reconceptualized in the last decade. The third section, 'Contemporary Debates', highlights ongoing topics that still inspire discussion. Finally, the editors summarize and discuss important concepts from the book and look to what lies ahead.
Previous empirical studies of divergent thinking (DT) have measured originality by identifying ideas that are unusual or remote but not necessarily divergent. The present investigation used the same kind of open-ended tasks as previous investigations but operationalized scores to capture truly and literally divergent ideas. To this end, 13 dimensions were identified and used to categorize ideas from six DT tasks. These 13 categories represented a kind of ideational hyperspace and insured that actual divergence of thought was captured. Interitem and interrater correlations indicated that 11 of the 13 hyperspace categories were reliable. Furthermore, the tendency to give a large number of ideas within each category was positively associated with originality and fluency. When fluency was statistically controlled, several of the categories (i.e., impractical, synthetic, breadth, non-natural, infeasible, playful, and remote) were positively related with originality, whereas the complementary categories (e.g., practical, nonsynthetic, depth) were negatively related to the originality of both verbal and figural DT. A composite Literal Divergent Thinking (LiDT) Index, calculated by taking all categories into account, was positively associated with attitudes about originality, even after fluency was statistically controlled. The present effort was the first investigation of LiDT and both limitations and direction for future research are explored. Given the reliability of the new LiDT scores, future research should be conducted to determine whether or not LiDT will predict creative thinking more accurately than the traditional indices of DT.
Does extrinsic motivation inhibit or foster creativity? Whereas previous researchers examined the effects of externally controlled extrinsic motivation on creativity, we focus on the effects of self-determined extrinsic motivation arising from one's personally held core values. In this study, we present a theoretical argument which predicts that (a) creative behavior is fostered by certain value types, inhibited by other value types, and holistically related to the total integrative-dynamic pattern of value types identified by Schwartz (1994), and (b) creative performance is synergistically promoted by the interaction between the Self-Direction value type and intrinsic motivational orientation. These hypotheses were tested in a study of 248 undergraduates whose value priorities and intrinsic motivational orientation were measured by self-report and whose creative performance was assessed across multiple tasks in the verbal, artistic, and mathematical domains. All predictions were supported.
Career interests and abilities were examined in 130 young adults who, as adolescents, had received exceptionally high scores (top 5% of the entire country) on the test of general intelligence developed by the Israel Defense Force and used each year for selection and placement of recruits. The interests and abilities of the majority of the intellectually gifted research participants were found to be focused and not the opposite, as has been widely assumed among educators of the gifted. In 45% of the research participants, we found a strong relation between the focus of adolescents' out-of-school activities and the field of their adult vocation. Moreover, participants whose adolescent out-of-school activities matched their adult occupation had a higher level of work accomplishment than participants for whom such a match was absent. Our findings indicate that measures of out-of-school activities may provide an appropriate tool for counselors to use in career counseling with adolescents. Finally, young adults who were recognized as intellectually gifted in their adolescence perceived their family climate very positively. They described their families us highly cohesive and said that family members helped and supported one another.
Divergent thinking tests have been criticized for their low correlations with real-world performance. The primary objective of this study was to ascertain whether real-world problems are more predictive of creative accomplishments than problems contained in standard divergent thinking tasks. A second objective was to examine the relationship between performance on problem-finding tasks and traditional problem-solving tasks. Four tasks were administered to 77 elementary school students, with a check list of creative activities that was used as a criterion measure. Correlational results indicated that the real-world problem-finding measure was more predictive of creative accomplishments than standard divergent thinking tasks and the real-world problem-solving task. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the real-world problem-finding task added significantly to the prediction of creative activities, beyond the prediction from the other tasks.
In an increasingly complex and changing business environment, creativity is becoming recognized as a critical success factor for organizations. The identification of attitudes toward creativity and the subsequent development of creative thinking are important mechanisms for organizations to encourage creativity across all employees. Employee attitudes toward creativity can indicate their potential for behaving in a creative manner, and organizations that can incorporate creativity into their organizational culture can further encourage creative thinking. This research extended previous research that had identified 2 divergent thinking attitudes related to organizational creativity. Three additional attitudes were identified as "valuing new ideas," "creative individual stereotypes," and "too busy for new ideas," using various psychometric and substantive analyses with 2 large samples including both business students and employees of industrial organizations. Basic scales were established to measure all 3 attitudes and future work to finalize the scales was laid out. This research also provided a psychometric methodology for identifying and developing measures of variables associated with creativity attitudes and behaviors. This framework may be useful to other researchers.
This study hypothesized that creative thinking can help predict the process of resilience, manifested as subjective well-being despite exposure to adversity, either directly or with moderation of personality and demographic variables. Eighty survivors of hurricane Katrina who have lost their homes were asked to respond to measures of creative thinking, perception of adversity, well-being, a short personality inventory, and a demographic questionnaire. Supplementary qualitative exploration of 17 participants' experiences augmented understanding within contextual framework. Findings suggest that originality and flexibility are significant predictors of well-being when personality traits and demographic variables are taken into account. Specifically, originality was found to be a significant predictor for extroversion, which was a significant predictor of life satisfaction measure. In addition, flexibility and originality were significant predictors of clinical stress and life satisfaction for the African American participants but not for the European American participants; originality and flexibility were also significant predictors of resilience for participants reporting greater income disparity. Triangulation of interviews with these findings further support the notion that manifestations of creative thinking as resilience are likely moderated by SES, culture and social structure, and might be masked under condition of social privilege and prevalence of resources.
Creativity is commonly held to emerge from an interaction of the person and the situation. In studies of creativity, situational influences are commonly assessed by using climate measures. In the present effort, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine 42 prior studies in which the relationships between climate dimensions, such as support and autonomy, and various indices of creative performance were assessed. These climate dimensions were found to be effective predictors of creative performance across criteria, samples, and settings. It was found, moreover that these dimensions were especially effective predictors of creative performance in turbulent, high-pressure, competitive environments. The implications of these findings for understanding environmental influences on creativity and innovation are discussed.
Proposes that validation of the concept of a normally distributed trait of creativity requires that characteristics distinguishing eminent creatives from less eminent people, should be positively related in unselected samples. A review of the available evidence does not clearly support the concept. This fact, taken with other evidence, suggests that divergent thinking should not be identified as creative thinking. Suggestions regarding research are made. (100 ref.)
In a sample of 7,262 college freshmen attending 24 colleges and universities, the student scores for several academic achievement tests, the student scores for several scales of extracurricular achievement, and the student average school grades were intercorrelated. The correlations between these measures of academic and nonacademic accomplishments are generally negligible (median r = .04). The results can be attributed neither to a narrow range of academic talent nor to nonlinear relationships. The results strongly suggest that academic and nonacademic accomplishment are relatively independent dimensions of talent. The implications of the findings for the selection of talented persons and the conservation of talent were discussed. (22 ref.)
The theory of the creative class has proven to be useful but may be slanted towards professional levels of creativity. Additionally, differences between (a) objective measures of regional creativity, including the Creativity Index used by Florida (2012) and (b) creativity as measured by more traditional psychological assessments (that are commonly used in the creativity research) have not been explored. The research reported here does exactly that. It presents analyses of data from a battery of traditional creativity tests that had been administered to 3000 individuals from across the United States. Testing was completed via Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Data on population density and regional information were also collected. Results indicated that perceptions of community support for creativity were related to but far from redundant with the Florida Creativity Index used in previous research on the creative class. A secondary but important findings was that an analysis using one of the traditional measures of creativity indicated that respondents were significantly more creative outside of school than they were when they were in school. There were domain differences in this regard. Implications, limitations, and
future research are detailed at the end of the article.
The prediction of creative performance from ideation has shown promise, but questions remain. In this study, the relationship of ideational behavior and the creative performance of elementary school children (N = 255) was examined across 6 domains of creative performance: science, mathematics, technology, fine arts, music, and writing. Importantly, the potential confounding of grade and gender were controlled and creative self-efficacy tested as a moderator. Results indicated that ideational behavior explained a unique portion of variance in creative performance, above and beyond the potential confounding factors. The moderating effect of creative self-efficacy was confirmed, but only in the domain of science. Interestingly, ideation was more strongly related to creative activity than was creative self-efficacy in every domain except art and writing. Limitations and future research are discussed.
Initially published in 2002, The Rise of the Creative Class quickly achieved classic status for its identification of forces then only beginning to reshape our economy, geography, and workplace. Weaving story-telling with original research, Richard Florida identified a fundamental shift linking a host of seemingly unrelated changes in American society: the growing importance of creativity in people’s work lives and the emergence of a class of people unified by their engagement in creative work. Millions of us were beginning to work and live much as creative types like artists and scientists always had, Florida observed, and this Creative Class was determining how the workplace was organized, what companies would prosper or go bankrupt, and even which cities would thrive.In The Rise of the Creative Class Revisited, Florida further refines his occupational, demographic, psychological, and economic profile of the Creative Class, incorporates a decade of research, and adds five new chapters covering the global effects of the Creative Class and exploring the factors that shape “quality of place” in our changing cities and suburbs.
Tests of divergent thinking represent the most commonly used assessment of creative potential. Typically they are scored for total ideational output (fluency), ideational originality, and, sometimes, ideational flexibility. That scoring system provides little information about the underlying process and about the associations among ideas. It also does not really capture the key principle of divergent thinking, namely that ideas may be found when cognition explores new (divergent) directions. The investigation reported here used 3 independent semantic networks, each computerized and previously validated, to quantify the distance between responses (ideas) to several tests of divergent thinking. These sources were WordNet (WN), Word Associations Network (WAN), and IdeaFisher (IF). Statistical analyses indicated that remote and close associations can be reliably measured when different sources of associative strength are used. Inter-item reliability (alpha coefficients) of what these networks had identified as remote associations were higher than those from close associations. Inter-item reliability values were higher in the WAN and IF, which provided shorter lists than the WN. Therefore, longer associative lists did not necessarily produce better indices of remote and close associations. Also, scores from a measure of creative attitudes and values were significantly correlated with remote, but not with close, associations across all 3 networks. This finding is very important because it shows that people with a higher tendency of creative attitudes and values, as measured by divergent thinking tests, are more likely to make remote associations rather than close associations. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
This study examined the independent and joint effects of expected developmental assessment strategies (self-administered, other-administered, and no assessment) and creative personality on individuals' creative performance. Data were collected from 68 participants who performed a role-playing task in a laboratory setting. Results showed that individuals exhibited the highest creative performance when they expected a self-administered assessment (i.e., an opportunity to assess their own work in order to develop their creativity-relevant skills) and had creative personalities.
This article describes how we can teach students more effectively by teaching for successful intelligence. Teaching for successful intelligence involves instructing and assessing analytically, creatively, and practically, as well as for memory. Such teaching helps students recognize and capitalize on strengths, and at the same time recognize and correct or compensate for weaknesses. The article describes how to teach for successful intelligence and presents empirical evidence that teaching for successful intelligence really works in the classroom in raising student achievement.
One trend in the creativity literature is towards unambiguous expressions of talent. This trend follows from an interest in scientific rigour, but if we are interested in children, it is creative potential that is the primary concern, rather than unambiguous creative performance. Educators and others working with children should define creativity in very literal terms, as thinking or problem solving that involves the construction of new meaning. This in turn relies on personal interpretations, and these are personal and new for the individual, not on any larger scale. This approach is consistent with the educational premise 'to understand is to invent', and it allows educators to target self-expression. The emphasis is thus on the individual, the self. Equally significant for educators is that this view of creativity posits that creativity is widely distributed. A wide distribution is implied because virtually every individual has the mental capacity to construct the personal interpretations that are involved. Creativity is, then, something we can find in every child, not just the gifted or highly intelligent.
This study examined two neglected dispositional contributions to creativity, namely needs for uniqueness and cognition. Multiple measures of creativity were used including an inventory of creative accomplishments, preference for complex visual figures (a measure similar to the Barron-Welsh Art Scale), unconventional rather than popular word associations, and consensually-assessed creative products. The latter included creative drawing, creative writing (a TAT story), richness of a photo essay about the self and the vividness of a recent dream. The predictors independently made significant contributions to creativity.
An integrative introduction to the theories and themes in research on creativity, the second edition of Creativity is both a reference work and text for courses in this burgeoning area of research. The book begins with a discussion of the theories of creativity (Person, Product, Process, Place), the general question of whether creativity is influenced by nature or nurture, what research has indicated of the personality and style of creative individuals from a personality analysis standpoint, and how social context affects creativity. This wide-ranging work then proceeds to coverage of issues such as gender differences, whether creativity can be enhanced, if creativity is related to poor mental or physical health, and much more. The book contains boxes covering special interest items, including one-page biographies of famous creative individuals, and activities for a group or individual to test or encourage creativity, as well as references to Internet sites relating to creativity. Includes all major theories and perspectives on creativity. Consolidates recent research into a single source. Includes key terms defined and text boxes with interesting related material. Single authored for clarity and consistency of presentation.
The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) was developed in 1966 and renormed five times: in 1974, 1984, 1990, 1998, and 2008. The total sample for all six normative samples included 272,599 kindergarten through 12th grade students and adults. Analysis of the normative data showed that creative thinking scores remained static or decreased, starting at sixth grade. Results also indicated that since 1990, even as IQ scores have risen, creative thinking scores have significantly decreased. The decrease for kindergartners through third graders was the most significant.
The present study empirically examined the argument that a referent climate for creative productivity would be more useful than an omnibus measure of climate for assessing the creative norms in a specific work context. A 39‐item Climate for Creative Productivity Index (CCPI) was developed to test Amabile's theory of situational factors having an impact on creativity in an organization. Questionnaire and archival data from employees of a military organization were analyzed. Results suggested that climate for creative productivity was related to criteria of effectiveness (convergent validity). In addition, the CCPI accounted for variance in our measures not captured by job satisfaction (discriminant validity).
From September 1959 to May 1964 the children enrolled in a university and a public elementary school were tested each year with a battery of tests of creative thinking. Relatively complete data were obtained for 350 children. A random sample of 100 cases was drawn from this pool for further analysis. All raw scores were converted to standard or T-scores based on fifth grade comparison group norms.
The results showed that when studied longitudinally, there are statistically significant slumps in fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration. Although from 45 to 61 percent of the subjects showed significant slumps (losses of five or more standard score points), there were a few who showed significant increases ranging from 11 percent on fluency to 38 percent on elaboration. There is a general recovery trend in the fifth grade but from 16 to 29 percent show decreases of five or more standard score points between the third and fifth grades. Many children end up with lower scores in the fifth grade than they attained in the third grade. The proportion ranges from 21 percent on elaboration to 52 percent on fluency. In general there is the strongest tendency for growth in elaboration and the weakest In fluency.
Loneliness accompanies creativity. It is necessary in that the creative person must differentiate him/herself from the conforming majority, discover unique purpose, and gather the strength of sensibilities needed to create. But the struggle with loneliness often leads to bitterness, stubbornness, pain, and despair. Further, primitive separation and abandonment issues gaft onto present struggles and intermingle with both creativity and personality. The therapeutic challenge is to help the creative client differentiate between loneliness and solitude, treat the loneliness while strengthening the solitude, differentiate and treat accordingly ordinary disorders and the unusual psychic phenomena necessary to creativity.
Barron (1997) and Helson (1990) independently have suggested that a central element in all forms of creativity is the desire or goal to be creative, implying creativity as a core value. Based on these assertions and Schwartz's (1992) theory, we tested the prediction that creative individuals will hold a different values system than their less creative counterparts. University students (N = 278) completed the Schwartz Values Survey (Schwartz, 1992), as well as a behaviorally-based self-report measure of creative accomplishments. At separate occasions, 134 of these participants also devised three creative products rated by the consensual assessment method. In keeping with prediction, creative accomplishments and products correlated significantly not only with the self-direction value composite (both including and excluding the individual item creativity), but also universalism and stimulation. Accomplishments and products correlated negatively with the value composites of tradition, security, and power. These results support the view that creativity is grounded in values, and support Schwartz's model of the dynamic structure of values as a predictor of behavior.
Because intellectual measures often have idiosyncratic psychometric properties in exceptional populations, the relationship between divergent thinking test scores and creative performance was evaluated and compared in gifted and nongifted children (N = 212). The criterion of creative performance was a self-report which estimates the quantity and quality of extracurricular activity in seven domains. Results of canonical and bivariate analyses indicated that divergent thinking and creative performance scores were moderately related in the gifted sample, but unrelated in the nongifted sample. Additionally, the quantity of extracurricular performance was more predictable than its quality. Finally, there were particular areas of performance (e.g., writing and art) that were more strongly related to divergent thinking than other areas (e.g., music and science). These results are discussed in the context of the criterion-related validity of divergent thinking tests.
Creative Activities and Accomplishments Check Lists are often used to assess the creative performance of children. Check Lists are attractive because the respondent is generally well informed about his or her own past achievements, and the focus is on actual rather than potential performance. Additionally, Check Lists can be used to assess creative activity in a variety of domains. This is very important given the current view of creativity as involving domain-specific skills. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the validity of ratings of children's creativity obtained with a Creative Activities Check List. A Check List was administered independently to sons (n = 73) and their mothers (n = 60). It contained 55 items from four domains: math-science, art, crafts, and writing. Correlational analyses indicated that the four domain ratings given by the mothers concerning their sons' creativity were significantly related to the four domain ratings of their sons. Four canonical functions were derived, accounting for a total of 85% of the variance (p < .001) of the ratings. Similarly, the mean ratings given by mothers and their sons were not significantly different, suggesting that mothers' ratings might be used when ratings from children cannot be obtained. These results support the validity of the Activities Check List.
This paper has reviewed knowledge to date on parental antecedents of "creativity" or divergent thinking in children, and reports discussion of this material by participants at an invitational conference. Methods of establishing criterion measures for assessment of "creativity" consist, at the present time, of the following: (1) judgments by peers or experts; (2) test procedures purporting to measure creativity; and (3) tests for personality characteristics thought necessary to creativity. Both the latter types of tests are shaky in terms of validity criteria. Available methods for assessing parental behaviors in the child-rearing process were also reviewed. Problems here include the fact that naturalistic, as compared to experimental, research is commonly and probably necessarily employed. This means that the direction of influence--parent to child or child to parent--is generally unclear. Interaction situations may standardize to a certain extent the natural situation, but precise definition of the causal effect is still a problem. The following parent variables appear with regularity as associated with child divergent thinking: (1) support, satisfaction with self and with child; (2) low degree of punishment; (3) low pressure for conformity; and (4) lack of intrusiveness. (Author)
Presented is a detailed description on how parents and teachers can use the author's book to help develop the creative potential of gifted children. (JYC)
This study investigated the cultural influences on creative and conforming behavior. Three sets of hypotheses were developed. First, it was predicted that there was a negative association between creative and conforming behavior (Hypothesis 1). Second, it was predicted that cultural individualism-collectivism had a positive impact on independent self-construal (Hypothesis 2A) and a negative impact on interdependent self-construal (Hypothesis 2B). Third, it was predicted that independent self-construal had a positive impact on creative behavior (Hypothesis 3A) and a negative impact on conforming behavior (Hypothesis 3B) and that interdependent self-construal had a negative impact on creative behavior (Hypothesis 3C) and a positive impact on conforming behavior (Hypothesis 3D). These hypotheses were embedded in a theoretical model of behavior with cultural individualism/collectivism as the antecedent variable, independent and interdependent self-construals as the mediating variables, and creative and conforming behaviors as the outcome variables. To test this theoretical model of behavior, 158 White undergraduates from Australia (who represented individualistic members) and 186 Chinese undergraduates from Singapore (who represented collectivistic members) responded to a survey containing relevant scales to measure the constructs in this study. SEM results provided support for this theoretical model of behavior, as well as for the various hypothesized relationships embedded within it. On the basis of these significant findings, the need to consider the cultural context when promoting individual creativity was highlighted.
The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the relationships between children's reports of their mother's and father's parenting style (leniency and acceptance), teacher's reports of children's creative personality, and teacher's reports of children's loneliness in school in a sample of South Korean sixth graders (N = 421). Using structural equation modeling, the results showed that parenting styles that reflected higher levels of leniency were associated with higher levels of loneliness and no relationship with children's creative personality. Parenting styles that reflected higher levels of acceptance were associated with higher levels of creativity in their children, but did not have a direct effect on loneliness. However, there was an indirect effect; the relationship between acceptance and loneliness was mediated by creativity.
"The relationships between 3 criteria of academic and creative performance and 72 personal, demographic, and parental variables were studied in a sample of talented adolescents. The results suggest that creative performance at the high school level occurs more frequently among students who are independent, intellectual, expressive, asocial, consciously original, and who have high aspirations for future achievement. Students who are persevering, sociable, responsible, and whose parents hold somewhat authoritarian attitudes and values, are more frequently academic achievers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Provides a scheme for understanding modeling techniques as a means for developing supervisory skill. The behavior modeling approach is contrasted with the traditional training approach. The latter follows the sequence of developing understanding, changing attitudes and values, changing on-the-job behaviors, and achieving superior results. In behavior modeling, however, the sequence is one of learning new behaviors, achieving superior results, changing attitudes and values, and understanding the theory which explains the effectiveness of the new behavior. Conditions for effective learning in the context of behavior modeling are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
environmental influences affecting creativity in women / getting picked as special by the parents / creative interest / identity as a creative person (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Examines tests measuring creative abilities, creative personality, and biographical traits and concludes that reliabilities are high and validities are good. Discussion focuses on commercially available divergent thinking tests and personality/biographical inventories as well as unpublished creativity tests. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
See
3: 2484;
11: 708, 729. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Guilford's Alternate Uses, Plot Titles, and Consequences tests were given to 94 university students along with the Concept Mastery Test, a traditional measure of verbal intelligence. These measures were correlated with an inventory of creative activities and accomplishments. A composite index of ideational fluency correlated with four creativity indices: Crafts, Performing Arts, Math-Science, and Total Creativity, while the Concept Mastery Test correlated with three indices: Art, Literature, and Total Creativity. With the exception that verbal intelligence was a better predictor of creativity in literature, no statistical difference between the predictive accuracies of ideational fluency and verbal intelligence were found. The need to re-examine the widely accepted association of divergent thinking with creativity was discussed.
Reviews the book, Creativity: Theories and themes: Research, development, and practice by Mark A. Runco (see record 2007-00543-000). This book consists of 11 chapters with the following titles: "Cognition and Creativity," "Developmental Trends and Influences on Creativity," "Biological Perspectives on Creativity," "Health and Clinical Perspectives," "Social, Attributional, and Organizational Perspectives," "Educational Perspectives," "History and Historiometry," "Culture and Creativity," "Personality and Motivation," "Enhancement and the Fulfillment of Potential," and "Conclusion: What Creativity Is and What It Is Not." Beyond this all-encompassing content, the volume is crammed with illustrations and with all those "boxes" that are so characteristic of introductory textbooks in psychology. Each chapter also begins with appropriate quotations and a didactic "Advanced Organizer." Finally, Runco closes with 63 pages of references and a 15-page subject index. The reviewer has one major complaint: Runco seems to have adopted an "open the floodgates" approach that sometimes results in the almost willy nilly insertion of ideas and material. One consequence of this tendency is that the illustrations and boxes are at times less useful than they ought to be. Another repercussion of Runco's leave-nothing-out approach is that it occasionally leads to the presentation of ideas with minimal if any discussion or commentary. The reviewer does assert though, that for someone in the market for a text for use in an introductory creativity course, a book that is wide-ranging and most current, Runco's Creativity is a good choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A Creativity Attitude Survey has been constructed for research use at the elementary school level. Normative data are available for over 20 samples of school children. Reliability and validity data collected to date indicate that the Creativity Attitude Survey is a promising instrument for further research. It appears to be a particularly effective measure of the immediate and long-term effects of creativity training programs.
Samples of 107 early, 81 middle, and 112 late adolescents responded to the UCLA Loneliness Scale and The Creativity Scale of the Adjective Check List. Contrary to the hypothesized direction, statistically significant inverse correlations (-.19 to -.33) were found between scores on measures of loneliness and creativity in all three adolescent samples. Findings are interpreted within the conceptualizations in which the relationship between loneliness and creativity were proposed.