The Impact of STS-Oriented Nature Education Programs on Middle School Students’ Creativity

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of a Science-Technology-Society (STS)-based nature education program on the creativity levels of middle school students. Recognizing creativity as a crucial human capacity for individual and societal progress, the research focused on its core elements, including the generation of novel solutions, diverse perspectives, and original ideas. The STS approach, which emphasizes constructivist learning and problem-solving within real-world contexts, was employed to enhance skills such as visualization, mental image formation, combining objects and ideas innovatively, generating alternative uses, and designing tools and machines. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test–post-test design was utilized. Participants included 60 middle school students (15 from each of grades 5 to 8) comprising 30 gifted students enrolled in Science and Art Centers simultaneously. Students’ creativity levels were assessed using the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP), which is a figural test measuring holistic creativity across 14 criteria. Data were analyzed using arithmetic means, paired-sample t-tests, and independent-sample t-tests. The results demonstrated a statistically significant and large improvement in overall creativity following the intervention (t(59) = 7.14, p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.92). Notably, no significant differences in creativity were observed between the gifted and non-gifted groups either before or after the program. These findings align with previous research indicating that out-of-school environmental and nature-based activities can enhance students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills. The study suggests that STS-based nature education effectively fosters creativity and should be integrated into curricula to strengthen problem-solving, perspective-taking, and idea generation skills.