Xu, Shiyu; (2025) Scientific Creativity in a Chinese Upper Secondary School: An Inquiry-based Teaching Intervention. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Fostering students’ scientific creativity is a crucial aspect of science education. This thesis addresses this issue by developing an instrument for assessing scientific creativity, providing an understanding of students’ current scientific creativity levels, investigating teachers’ and students’ perspectives on scientific creativity, and researching the implementation in a Chinese upper secondary school of inquiry-based teaching intended to enhance scientific creativity. The Comprehensive Scientific Creativity Assessment (C-SCA) instrument was devised, incorporating scientific knowledge, motivation in scientific creativity, and divergent and convergent thinking styles within its assessment framework. It was tested through a pilot study involving 189 students and a main study with 347 students, and demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Descriptive analyses revealed that males and only children (those with no siblings) performed better in scientific knowledge, while children from affluent backgrounds exhibited more positive motivational attitudes. No significant demographic differences were observed in divergent or convergent thinking performance. Scientific knowledge scores varied significantly according to the educational level and occupation of students’ mothers. Regression analyses indicated that divergent and convergent thinking mutually promoted each other, while extrinsic motivation negatively affected divergent thinking, and scientific knowledge enhanced convergent thinking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 science teachers and 18 students, and thematic analysis identified four themes: ‘creative students’, ‘the creative process’, ‘creative ideas’, and ‘a creative environment’. To enhance students’ scientific creativity, an inquiry-based teaching intervention was implemented in collaboration with a biology teacher across three 10th-grade classes, involving five inquiry-based lessons over three months. The intervention led to statistically significant improvements in students’ divergent and convergent thinking, contrasting with the control group. Observations and interviews with the teacher and students highlighted the challenges and successes of the intervention process, and the researcher’s diary documented the collaborative process, providing insights into the implementation of inquiry-based teaching in Chinese upper secondary science classes.

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