Comparative study of divergent thinking among participants in a German science competition and pupils in a control group

Abstract

Creativity is an important skill that will increasingly play a role in the future professional sphere, not only in arts and crafts professions but also in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions. It is precisely in this field that new methods and products have to be constantly developed. Therefore, the promotion of high creative potential needs to start at school. Extracurricular learning activities that prepare pupils for science competitions can also have an impact on this promotion. Since few studies have explored divergent thinking in school chemistry classes and extracurricular science competitions, this study aims to show differences in divergent thinking based on gender, parental academic background and prior participation in a science competition, using a validated test.