Stimulating creativity in the classroom: examining the impact of sense of place on students’ creativity and the mediating effect of classmate relationships

Abstract

Background Although previous studies have found a close relationship between sense of place and creativity, few studies have been conducted considering the micro-environment of the classroom. The mediating role of classmate relationships in the association between students’ sense of place and creativity remains unclear. Methods This study explores classmate relationships as a mediating factor in the relationship between sense of place and creativity. Therefore, we considered a sample of 1555 Chinese high-school students and used a paper-based questionnaire survey. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0, PROCESS 3.2 plugin, and AMOS. Results Sense of place in the micro-environment of the classroom has a significant positive predictive effect on creativity. Sense of place also has a significant positive predictive effect on peer relationships. The mediation analysis reveals that peer relationships play a mediating role in the relationship between the sense of place and creativity. Conclusions This study revealed the associations between sense of place, classmate relationships, and creativity. Creativity is better expressed in students with a strong sense of place in the classroom. Moreover, a student’s sense of place can enhance their creativity by influencing their peer relationships. These findings enrich the research in educational psychology within the classroom, providing new insights for fostering creativity.

Empathy Design Thinking: cultivating creative minds in primary education

“…In our study, we focused on a cohort of 60 fifth-grade students, aged 10-12, evenly divided by gender, to explore creativity during a pivotal developmental stage (Siew and Ambo, 2020;Zhang et al, 2023). This specific age range was chosen to provide a detailed and comparative analysis of creativity development.…”