Creative potential profiles of primary school students

Abstract

The growing societal need to promote creative thinking in education and the challenges of measuring creativity for contemporary educational approaches have contributed to the development of this study. Based on the confluence theory of creative potential, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of creative potential in 707 children aged 5 to 12 years using the Evaluation of Potential Creativity Test (EPoC). Specifically, divergent-explorative and convergent-integrative processes were measured in two domains of creativity: graphic and verbal. The results show that the EPoC is a consistent and structurally valid test. The latent profile analysis revealed five profiles. Younger children showed less complex profiles than older children. We found no statistically significant differences between the profiles in relation to gender. Based on these results of the EPoC test, we can measure and promote the creative potential of school-age children in a valid and personalised way. Education relevance statement and implications statementThis study shows that the EPoC test is a valid measure for assessing and profiling the creative potential of school-age children. Based on the test results, educators and parents can gain a new perspective on the main characteristics of individual children's creative thinking. In addition, they can foster children's creativity by taking a more personalised approach that matches the identified profiles. By providing children with individualized learning experiences, they make creativity an important outcome of the learning process.