Creative Thinking Assessment Across Cultures: Challenges and Considerations

This paper considers the inclusion of creative thinking as an innovative domain within the OECD's PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) and offers a series of reflections on the opportunities and limitations that follow from this. Although this recognition of the importance of creative thinking represents a step forward, the current assessment framework poses inherent risks of standardization. It is argued that a more nuanced and culturally sensitive approach is needed to move beyond a homogenized view of creativity and ensure that assessment fosters rather than limits the creative process. We also highlight how the definition of creative thinking is influenced by factors such as language and cultural values and ideas, all of which must be carefully considered when analyzing the results of these international assessments to preserve the richness of diverse approaches and paradigms. The paper concludes by suggesting the need for alternative, more flexible and multidimensional frameworks that not only enable the assessment of creative thinking but also promote students' all-round development and help to shape more inclusive educational policies that respect cultural diversity and foster creativity in all its forms.