Creativity in STEM Education: Exploring Students' Creative Behaviors in an Engineering Design Course
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| Title: | Creativity in STEM Education: Exploring Students' Creative Behaviors in an Engineering Design Course |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Brenda C. Matos (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Advanced Academics. 2026 37(1):41-73. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 33 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) (ED), Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program |
| Contract Number: | S206A190020 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Descriptors: | Creativity, STEM Education, Engineering Education, Concept Formation, Synthesis, Personality Traits, Persistence, Creative Thinking, Skill Development, Design, Planning |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1932202X251394692 |
| ISSN: | 1932-202X 2162-9536 |
| Abstract: | Research on creativity in engineering has expanded, yet empirical evidence remains limited on how creativity develops through secondary school engineering curricula. This qualitative study examined teachers' perceptions of middle and high school students' creativity while designing and building chain reaction machines. Using the "Assessing Creativity" framework, deductive analysis of eleven teachers' interviews revealed students' creative behaviors across all four categories: (a) generating ideas (e.g., fluency, originality, flexibility), (b) digging deeper into ideas (e.g., synthesizing, resolving ambiguity), (c) openness and courage to explore ideas (e.g., curiosity, imagination, tenacity), and (d) listening to one's "inner voice" (e.g., persistence, self-direction, awareness of creativity). Teachers most frequently reported convergent thinking and traits such as curiosity, openness to experience, and risk-taking. Findings provide preliminary insights into the understanding of creativity in education, suggesting that engineering-design curricula foster creative thinking while preparing students with essential skills required in STEM pathways. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1496580 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Research on creativity in engineering has expanded, yet empirical evidence remains limited on how creativity develops through secondary school engineering curricula. This qualitative study examined teachers' perceptions of middle and high school students' creativity while designing and building chain reaction machines. Using the "Assessing Creativity" framework, deductive analysis of eleven teachers' interviews revealed students' creative behaviors across all four categories: (a) generating ideas (e.g., fluency, originality, flexibility), (b) digging deeper into ideas (e.g., synthesizing, resolving ambiguity), (c) openness and courage to explore ideas (e.g., curiosity, imagination, tenacity), and (d) listening to one's "inner voice" (e.g., persistence, self-direction, awareness of creativity). Teachers most frequently reported convergent thinking and traits such as curiosity, openness to experience, and risk-taking. Findings provide preliminary insights into the understanding of creativity in education, suggesting that engineering-design curricula foster creative thinking while preparing students with essential skills required in STEM pathways. |
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| ISSN: | 1932-202X 2162-9536 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1932202X251394692 |
