Analysis of Creativity Following Educational Intervention with Secondary School Students

Abstract Creative and critical thinking skills are in high demand in 21 st -century society and schools should foster students’ creative potential all through their time in education. This study analyses results of an educational intervention in biology and geology based on the POPBL (problem-oriented and project-based learning) model to improve creative thinking of 83 students in year one of secondary education. To this end, the creativity variable was analysed using the CREA Creative Intelligence Test (Corbalán et al., 2015) with a pre-test/post-test design and ANCOVA was used to establish whether there was significant difference between the group taught using an active methodology and the group taught with a traditional one. Creativity scores and subject grades were used as covariates. Having matched initial creativity and performance values, the results showed that the designed intervention was effective in improving creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Classroom learning provides an ideal opportunity for students, moderated cognitively and emotionally by the teacher, to master knowledge of the content and creatively apply that knowledge, an important skill for success in any 21 st century environment.