An Empirical Study on the Creative Learning Environment Fostering Student Creativity: A Multiple Mediation Analysis Using Smart PLS 4

Abstract

Creativity should be seen as a critical skill for students in the twenty-first century and a stated objective of formal education that supports students in navigating an ambiguous future. There is evidence that a creative learning environment would encourage students to be more creative in the classroom, but research is lacking to support this. This study examines whether a creative learning environment will encourage students to be more creative in three ways: learning goal orientation, network links, and knowledge sharing, based on Amabile's componential theory of creativity. A total of 388 Chinese university students participated in the surveys. The collected data were analysed by SmartPLS 4, the approach of multiple mediation analysis. The results demonstrate that a creative learning environment makes students more focused on learning goals and more willing to share information, significantly positively affecting student creativity. However, network ties do not play a role in the link between a creative learning environment and student creativity. In the end, this study discusses the theoretical and educational implications of the results, the drawbacks of the study, and recommendations for future studies.