Secondary school students’ creativity in STEM education: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Creativity is increasingly recognized as a crucial 21st-century skill, and STEM education has emerged as a key strategy for fostering it in students. However, creativity in STEM is defined and measured in varied ways, and pedagogical practices differ widely. The present study seeks to identify which fields of creativity are explored in the literature, how these are measured, and what characteristics define the instructional practices commonly implemented in STEM programs. To address these questions, a systematic review was conducted, analyzing studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Following PRISMA guidelines, 22 studies were included after applying a methodological quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The most significant findings indicate that the majority of the research uses quantitative methods and concentrates on students’ creative abilities. Creativity is typically defined in several categories, with scientific creativity most often assessed using domain-specific tools. The definitions of creativity provided in the studies generally align with the aspects being assessed. Design-based methodologies are frequently employed in the implementation of STEM projects. The review offers recommendations for educators and researchers, emphasizing the adoption of design-based methodologies and the enhancement of measurement techniques to assess creativity in secondary education, with a particular focus on STEM programs.