How does a creative learning environment foster student creativity? An examination on multiple explanatory mechanisms

Mudan Fan,Wenjing Cai

doi:10.1007/s12144-020-00974-z

Abstract

Scholars and educators have acknowledged the importance of the learning environment, especially the creative learning environment, on student creativity. However, the current understanding is far from complete to paint a clear picture of how a creative learning environment can stimulate students’ creative outcomes in the classroom. Drawing on Amabile’s componential theory of creativity, the present research aims to test how a creative learning environment can foster undergraduate creativity through three distinct mechanisms (i.e., learning goal orientation, network ties, and knowledge sharing). A total of 431 students and their teachers from a Chinese university completed questionnaires. The results generally supported the theoretical model in which a creative learning environment is significantly associated with student creativity by enhancing students’ learning goal orientation, network ties, and knowledge sharing. Implications for theory and educational practice, limitations of the present study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Highlights

Creativity is becoming increasingly important in modern society (Beghetto and Kaufman 2014; Richardson and Mishra 2018; Yeh et al 2012)
We propose that learning goal orientation, network ties, and knowledge sharing can mediate the relationship between student creativity and a creative learning environment
We argue that when students are learning in a conducive environment characterized as highlighting creative learning, they have more willingness to share their knowledge with their classmates; they have more opportunities to access to diverse knowledge and information, which trigger their creative ideas to solve problems

Summary

Introduction

Creativity is becoming increasingly important in modern society (Beghetto and Kaufman 2014; Richardson and Mishra 2018; Yeh et al 2012). Researchers and educators are attempting to identify predictors that facilitate student creativity, such as teacher behaviors (e.g., encouragement and other teacher behaviors) (Chan and Yuen 2014). Missing from the literature is a thorough examination of the creative learning environment, despite suggestions by scholars that student creativity can be nurtured by educators who focus greater effort on building a learning environment that highlights the value of creativity (Davies et al 2013; Richardson and Mishra 2018). A major purpose of this study is to address the connection between a creative learning environment and student creativity by identifying several important intervening mechanisms

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Discussion

Conclusion