Investigating the effects of creative educational modules blended with Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) techniques and Problem Based Learning (PBL) on students' scientific creativity skills and perceptions in science education

Abstract

In today's world, the growth of technology and the continuous creation of new products have made innovation and creativity more important in many fields. It has become increasingly essential to nurture individuals' creativity within the educational framework they undergo. Student-centered approaches have proven to be effective in fostering creativity. Consequently, in this study, we utilized problem-based learning, a representative student-centered method, alongside five techniques sourced from the creativity section, which constitutes the fourth section of the CoRT program—a recognized toolset for enhancing creative abilities—to facilitate the development of students' creativity. Twelve modules, with three designed for each grade level, have been created for the middle school science curriculum. These modules are founded on a framework that integrates the problem-based learning (PBL) approach with five creativity strategies derived from the fourth section of Edward de Bono's Cognitive Research Foundation (CoRT) Thinking Program. Given that creativity varies depending on the specific field, the present study sought to cultivate students' creative skills within the domain of science education. The effects of the modules developed for this purpose on students' scientific creativity and their opinions on the activities in the module and their creative thinking skills are revealed. The research design is a case study that aims to examine the concept of scientific creativity in depth. In the study, students' creativity skills were assessed by administering the Scientific Creativity Test (SCT), a scale specific to creativity, as a pre-test before and after the intervention, and by applying educational activities based on divergent and convergent thinking during the implementation process. Qualitative data was collected from the responses of 12 participants to the SCT, which consists of five open-ended questions and a product development task. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants and systematic analysis was applied to SCT and interview data. The results revealed that most students exhibited improved creativity skills as reflected in their responses on the post-test administered by SCT. When we examine student opinions concerning scientific creativity and the developed modules, the majority expressed positive views, which demonstrates that the educational modules developed within the scope of this study can enhance the creative potential of students, especially in the product development section.