Learn how incorporating creative thinking in the classroom helps students develop critical 21st-century workplace skills.
We all know the 4-C’s (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, & Collaboration) and too often we provide opportunities for students to practice these skills in isolation. In the national and global economy, many of these skills need to be blended together to help become successful, both as an individual and as an organization. One example of this blending is creative thinking.
What is creative thinking and why does it matter?
Creative thinking is the ability to think in new and original ways to solve problems or generate ideas. It involves looking at situations or problems from different perspectives, making connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, and coming up with innovative solutions or ideas. It is all about developing innovative solutions to problems. Creative thinkers brainstorm not only a large number of ideas but also a variety and range of them.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2024) provides the following definition:
“Creative thinking is the way of thinking that leads to the generation of valuable and original ideas. All people are capable of engaging in creative thinking and practicing ‘everyday’ creativity (addressing everyday activities in a nonconventional way). Creative thinking can be applied not only to contexts related to the expression of imagination, such as creative writing or the arts, but also to other areas where the generation of ideas is functional to the investigation of issues, problems or society-wide concerns.”
These skills are important in the United States and across the globe as students move from the classroom to the world. Creative thinking can help students adapt to a constantly and rapidly changing world, regardless of their situation or career path. Supporting students’ creative thinking can help them to contribute to the community and society they live in, today and beyond. Organizations, society, business, and industry all depend on innovation and knowledge creation to address emerging and complex challenges. This gives urgency to innovation and creative thinking as a collaborative and complex endeavor.
Why does creative thinking matter for employers, helping business and industry succeed?
Creative thinking drives innovation, allowing companies and organizations to develop new products, services, and processes. Innovative solutions can differentiate a company from its competitors to meet changing customer needs. Often this type of thinking begins with problem finding and ends with problem solving. Complex and unexpected challenges are common in our personal and professional lives. Creative thinkers can approach problems from different angles, finding unique and effective solutions that might not be immediately apparent through conventional thinking.
In a rapidly changing business environment, the ability to adapt is critical. Creative approaches can streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve productivity. By rethinking traditional methods and practices, business and industry can become more efficient and effective in their operations. Companies that foster a culture of creativity are better positioned to stay ahead of their competitors. They can anticipate market trends, respond quickly to changes, and continually offer new value to customers.
How can STEM/STEAM support the development, practice, and competence for creative thinking in all students?
With these ideas in mind and knowing that as educators our mission is to help students be best prepared for life and careers beyond school. How can we incorporate these ideas and an environment that fosters the development and practice of creative thinking?
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and STEAM (which includes the Arts) teaching and learning can significantly support students in developing creative thinking skills through various approaches and strategies. As a foundation, an inquiry-based approach for teachers and students promotes curiosity and questioning, helping students develop critical thinking and creativity. Inquiry-based learning encourages students to ask questions, conduct experiments, and explore multiple solutions.
Using project-based learning (PBL) as an instructional model encourages students to engage in projects that require them to apply STEM/STEAM concepts to real-world problems fostering creativity. These projects often have open-ended outcomes, allowing students to explore multiple solutions. This model brings together the best of inquiry and STEM/STEAM focusing on authentic problems and challenges encouraging students to use creative thinking to come up with the “best” solution to the problem. The products created demonstrate an understanding of essential content while also sharing the result of creative thinking.
Collaboration is an important part of developing a creative mindset. Working in teams on STEM/STEAM projects through PBL allows students to share diverse perspectives and ideas. This team approach can spark creativity as students build on each other's ideas and approaches. Utilizing design thinking as part of project building encourages students to empathize with their audience, define problems, ideate, create prototypes, and test solutions. This semi-structured approach promotes creative problem-solving and innovation. Productive struggle and potential failures are an important part of this process and a powerful experience for students. Encouraging risk-taking and resilience helps create a classroom environment where students feel safe to take risks and learn from challenges helps foster a growth mindset.
Often, in schools, the integration of art and aesthetics is seen as something “cute”. This could not be further from the truth and ignores a great opportunity for engagement and creativity. The aesthetics of a product are often just as important to the consumer/audience as is the functionality of the product. Including art and design principles in STEM education (STEAM) helps students appreciate aesthetics and creativity, promoting holistic thinking and innovation.
Throughout the learning process, reflection and iteration should be ongoing. Reflecting on their learning experiences and iteration of their projects fosters a mindset of continuous improvement and creative growth supporting creative thinking practice and proficiency.
Creative thinking matters!
Providing students experiences helps us as educators advance our mission to help all students succeed. Creativity and critical thinking have been identified as 21st-century skills since before the 21st-century began. These skills are still just as important personally and professionally today. Helping students become creative thinkers can be a fun and engaging process for students and teachers. It can help provide students with opportunities to prepare for their life beyond school while engaging in important activities that allow them to apply classroom learning to real-world situations, solving problems and helping society. It’s a win-win situation!
This article is part of a series on fostering innovation. Click below to read parts 2 and 3:
References:
OECD (2024). PISA 2022 creative thinking. Retrieved July 9, 2024, from: https://search.oecd.org/pisa/innovation/creative-thinking/
About the Author:
Dr. David L. Reese serves as Chief Academic Officer for Defined Learning. During the past twenty years, Dr. Reese has served K-12 students as a science teacher, Curriculum Specialist, and Central Office Administrator. He has taught Masters and Doctoral courses in all areas of curriculum and professional development leadership. His work focuses on providing students with engaging, relevant learning opportunities designed to encourage students to apply content from a local, national, and international perspective.
