Thinking Skills and Creativity最新文献

{"title":"Construction and practice of design-based learning model for cultivating creative thinking: A case study of STEM courses in junior high school","authors":"Jie Xu ,&nbsp;Xuechun Ma ,&nbsp;Xianlong Xu ,&nbsp;Yan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Creative thinking is a core competency for cultivating innovative talents in the 21st century. Design-based learning (DBL), an emerging instructional model, emphasizes iterative project refinement through student-driven inquiry and design, thereby fostering the construction of meaningful knowledge. Although previous research has demonstrated the potential of the DBL model to enhance students’ creative thinking, clear and systematic procedures for implementing DBL in middle school contexts remain insufficiently specified. To address these gaps, this study first constructed a preliminary DBL model aimed at fostering creative thinking. The final DBL model was empirically derived from two rounds of practice in the STEM course at L Middle School in China. A mixed-method approach was employed to examine how the proposed DBL model supported students’ learning performance, digital works, creative thinking, and learning experiences across the two rounds of activities. The results demonstrated a marked improvement in the creativity of students’ digital work, accompanied by progressive improvement in learning performance and a significant increase in creative thinking skills. Furthermore, student feedback indicated a strong preference for the DBL model and a belief in its effectiveness in nurturing their creative thinking. This case study provided both a validated practical instructional model and conceptual insights for developing DBL to cultivate students’ creative thinking in K-12 education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 102147"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Uniquely supportive: The relationship between exposure to creative coursework and sense of belonging in higher education","authors":"Angie L. Miller","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent years have seen growing interest in fostering student creativity in higher education, with creative thinking increasingly recognized as a key learning outcome. Prior research links creative coursework to skills confidence and student engagement. Simultaneously, sense of belonging has emerged as a factor influencing motivation, academic success, and retention. This empirical study explores the relationship between exposure to creative coursework and sense of belonging among university seniors, using 2022 data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The sample included 21,651 seniors from 105 U.S. institutions. An “Exposure to Creative Coursework” scale was derived from four items assessing the extent to which students engaged in idea generation, risk-taking, problem-solving, and unconventional thinking. The outcome variable was a “Sense of Belonging” scale, with demographic characteristics and other student engagement scales included as control variables. An Ordinary Least Squares regression revealed that exposure to creative coursework significantly and positively predicts sense of belonging, even after accounting for student demographics and other engagement scales. The full model explained 47.4% of the variance in Sense of Belonging. Demographics explained 8.9%, student engagement explained the most at 37.9%, and Exposure to Creative Coursework contributing a more modest but significant portion at 0.6% (β = 0.096). These findings add nuance to the role of creativity in higher education, extending beyond cognitive outcomes to affective experiences like belonging. They support the integration of creative elements into curricula and future research should further explore the potential contributions of creativity in shaping inclusive, engaging academic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 102145"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the impact of an intervention on fostering mathematical creativity","authors":"Maria Kattou,&nbsp;Constantinos Christou,&nbsp;Demetra Pitta-Pantazi","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the design and implementation of an intervention program and evaluates its effectiveness in enhancing and sustaining mathematical creativity among elementary school students across an extended temporal period. Forty-eight 4^th-6^th graders organized into two groups participated in the present study. Twenty-four students participated in the intervention program (Experimental Group), and the other 24 students did not receive additional instruction in mathematical creativity (Control Group). A mathematical creativity test measuring fluency, flexibility, and originality was administered to all students before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the intervention. One month after the intervention’s completion, the same test was administered to Experimental Group participants (retention test) to evaluate whether the acquired creative dimensions were sustained over time. MANCOVA analysis revealed that the Experimental Group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in fluency, flexibility, and originality compared to the Control Group. Additionally, a repeated measures MANOVA analysis confirmed that gains in fluency and flexibility were maintained during the post-intervention period, while originality continued to demonstrate enhancement. The findings of the present study suggest that intervention programs possess the potential to enhance mathematical creativity among elementary school students and generate a sustained impact on students’ ability to provide original solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 102142"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultivating thinking skills and computational thinking in higher education: A case-based decision-support model from Taiwan","authors":"Shih-Jui Chang ,&nbsp;Chin-Tsai Lin ,&nbsp;Yung-Hui Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In response to curriculum reforms emphasizing computational thinking (CT) as a core 21st-century competence, this research addresses persistent challenges in developing students’ higher-order thinking skills through programming education. Despite the growing recognition of CT’s role in fostering creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking, many instructors still lack a coherent pedagogical framework, leading to inconsistent learning outcomes. This paper presents an assessment-driven, case-based model for cultivating CT and related thinking skills in an introductory programming course. By integrating an international certification examination with a multi-criteria decision-making approach via Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), Analytic Network Process (ANP), and Semantic Structure Analysis (SSA), the study identifies the most influential cognitive dimensions in CT development. Findings reveal that conceptual knowledge exerts the strongest causal influence, while problem-solving is the most interconnected and central dimension. Confidence disparities also emerge among non-computer science majors, particularly in decision-making, looping, and modularity. The proposed model contributes actionable insights for educators and curriculum designers, offering a structured pathway to enhance students’ creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills within diverse higher education contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 102143"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An observational study on how teachers support students’ creativity: The role of subject, lesson type, and classroom climate","authors":"Jacek Gralewski,&nbsp;Aleksandra Gajda,&nbsp;Ewa Wiśniewska","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to investigate how teachers support students’ creativity during lessons and which factors determine the frequency of such behaviors. The observational study involved 12 teachers from six schools who taught mathematics and students’ first language in classes characterized by different levels of creativity-supportive climate. The results indicate that the most frequently observed teacher behaviors were those related to valuing students’ creative ideas and supporting students’ independence. Slightly less frequent were behaviors fostering schematic thinking and supporting students’ openness. In contrast, the least frequently observed behaviors were those focused on building students’ belief in their creative abilities and stimulating their creative potential. Behaviors aimed at supporting students’ openness and stimulating creative abilities were most frequently observed during lessons devoted to introducing new material, whereas behaviors aimed at fostering schematic thinking in students and valuing students’ creative ideas were most frequently observed during lessons focused on consolidating and reviewing material. Moreover, teacher behaviors oriented towards fostering schematic thinking were observed significantly more often in mathematics lessons than in native language lessons. The findings confirm the presence of teacher behaviors aimed at supporting students’ creativity during typical mathematics and native language lessons, and highlight their role in the learning process, particularly in the context of introducing new material.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 102146"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of using narratives for reading and writing on self-regulated learning and foreign language development","authors":"Mayuko Matsuoka ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Manalo ,&nbsp;Pedro Rosário ,&nbsp;José Carlos Núñez","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the impact of using narratives for reading and writing on the development of self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors and English language skills in EFL classrooms. Two narrative activities were implemented: reading SRL-themed stories written in English from a first-person perspective and writing a narrative essay in English about students’ own experiences learning English. A mixed-methods design was used to assess changes in SRL behaviors, vocabulary knowledge, story comprehension, and learner engagement across three instructional groups. Quantitative analyses were used to compare group differences and estimate the effects of this instruction, while qualitative coding of learning diaries captured patterns of reflective thinking and strategy use. The findings indicate that the combined approach of narrative reading and writing strengthened SRL behaviors, including goal-setting, time management, task evaluation, and self-reflection. The students with this approach also demonstrated higher engagement, greater motivation, and more consistent use of SRL strategies. In terms of language development, the combined approach led to improved vocabulary retention and higher story comprehension scores. These results underline the potential of narrative-based instruction to foster not only SRL but also language proficiency in EFL contexts. The study suggests that incorporating narrative methods in language teaching can provide a meaningful, practical framework for promoting learner autonomy, critical thinking, and metacognitive awareness. The findings offer valuable implications for enhancing EFL teaching practices, especially in promoting independent learning and self-regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 102114"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Augmentation or limitation? Generative AI’s influence on college students’ creative problem-solving","authors":"Huanhuan Wang ,&nbsp;Ting Da ,&nbsp;Yuanrong Wang ,&nbsp;Fenghao Luo ,&nbsp;Yifan Zhang ,&nbsp;Ahmed Tlili ,&nbsp;Dong Yang ,&nbsp;Yarong Wang ,&nbsp;Jiaxin Xu ,&nbsp;Xixian Zhu ,&nbsp;Man Wan ,&nbsp;Ronghuai Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has been increasingly used in teaching and learning. However, its effect on the learning outcome of creative problem-solving (CPS<strong>)</strong> remains inconclusive. To address this problem, this mixed-methods study examines the dual role of GenAI in college students’ CPS using a natural experiment and a post-interview. By comparing outcomes of a design competition between non-GenAI student users (Year 2023, N_team_s = 10; N_student_s = 56) and GenAI users (Year 2024, N_teams = 18; N_student_s = 80) at three stages (N_pre+mid+post = 82), supplemented by competition mentor interviews analysis, we found that GenAI is significantly positive-associated with students’ CPS performance (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), with greater gains among students with lower baseline creativity. Additionally, not only did students’ CPS performance improve significantly across the three testing stages (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), but also the trajectory of improvement differed markedly between cohorts: students with ChatGPT support exhibited steeper gains across stages (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). However, the content analysis of mentor interviews identified risks of idea homogenization that emerged from the submitted work and students’ over-reliance on GenAI tools, with students failing to critically validate AI outputs. Mentor insights further highlight the mediating role of AI literacy and team dynamics: Teams with balanced human-AI collaboration achieved more innovation than those overly dependent on GenAI. These findings underscore GenAI’s paradoxical impact: a catalyst for stimulating creativity and a potential inhibitor of independent thinking. These results suggest that teachers and instructional designers should adopt active learning-oriented instructional design strategies to balance student-AI collaboration on creativity. The study advances research discourse on human-AI co-creativity while offering actionable strategies for sustainable AI integration in education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article 102116"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Productive negative emotions in creative studio-practice in higher education fashion design programmes","authors":"Julia Weems","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In educational contexts failure is taught as something negative. As children, we are taught we do not want to fail a test; as educators, we are taught we must teach students to pass. Criticism and shame are associated with failure, but the researcher believes that failure is a required part of the learning process. Within European higher education, in creative studio-practice, failure is a critical aspect of understanding and growth, and as discovered in this research, the negative emotions that are experienced when failing are especially important. In this qualitative study, the researcher used both interviews and photo-elicitation, to investigate how the perception of failure impacts students’ engagement and learning within creative studio-practice in fashion, specifically how it is used as part of the design process, to innovate and to experiment. There has been increased research into failure, linked to the 21st century skills framework, as well as how positive psychology, and promoting well-being, can create space for failure in learning, but there is a lack of research within creative spaces as well as a lack of understanding of students perceptions and experience. Understanding how students experience failure and work through it is essential to gain insight into student achievement and motivation. This research provided intriguing data on how both positive and negative emotions are necessary, reflecting just how complex the relationship between failure and creativity is, and at the same time, just how rewarding it can be; facing challenges, doubts and solving problems in the studio allows an individual to overcome self-doubt while finding self-worth and value at the same time as honing their craft.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article 102123"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145938619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scientific reasoning scale in Italy: Validation studies","authors":"Rossella Caliciuri,&nbsp;Margherita Lanz","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents validity evidence for the Italian adaptation of the Scientific Reasoning Scale (SRS), addressing the lack of a measure of scientific reasoning in the Italian context. A multi-study, multi-method approach was employed, including back-translation, pilot testing, expert interviews, cognitive interviews, and Structural Equation Modeling, to evaluate the psychometric properties and accumulate validity evidence supporting the intended interpretation and use of the scale scores. A total of 897 Italian adults (aged 18–60) participated in the study. Consistent with the contemporary view of validity, we gathered diverse evidence supporting the scale's validity. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed a unidimensional structure and modest composite reliability was observed, suggesting that future item development could strengthen measurement precision. Multi-group analyses supported full measurement invariance across gender, age, employment status, political orientation, and religious affiliation, enhancing generalizability and reducing measurement bias. Education level was the only variable associated with differences in SRS scores, with higher-educated individuals reporting significantly higher levels. Convergent validity was established through correlations with the Cognitive Reflection Test and the Probabilistic Reasoning Scale. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated through relationships with climate change awareness and beliefs, and different paranormal health beliefs. Given the adaptation of the response format from true/false to multiple-choice, this Italian version should be considered an adaptation that, although potentially limiting cross-national comparability, improves linguistic and ecological fit within the Italian context. The Italian SRS provides a valuable tool for future research on scientific reasoning and contributes to the international effort to assess and improve scientific literacy, aligning with the objectives of PISA 2025 (‘Programme for International Student Assessment’). The findings regarding the relationship between education level and scientific reasoning scores highlight a potential area for educational intervention, suggesting that formal training in scientific methodology may be necessary to fully develop these skills during compulsory schooling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article 102064"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of high school textbooks analyzing higher order thinking skills development in India and Singapore","authors":"Kamal Chawla ,&nbsp;Jaai Uday Phatak ,&nbsp;Reetika Chawla","doi":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the current study, we compare how high school textbooks from India and Singapore cultivate higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). By conducting a comparative quantitative content analysis of mathematics textbooks from two countries, we classify every textbook task using an integrated framework that combines Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Blasco’s Curricular Space. We then calculate the frequency and distribution of each category of the framework and apply a chi-square test to compare the two textbook sets. Further analysis also examines variations across mathematical topics to identify patterns or trends in promoting HOTS. The results show significant cross-national differences in the allocation of analysis, evaluation, and creation tasks. These findings inform curriculum reform by offering evidence-based guidance on embedding higher-order thinking and reflection into secondary mathematics programs worldwide, thereby supporting students’ cognitive development in diverse educational contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47729,"journal":{"name":"Thinking Skills and Creativity","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article 102058"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}