Foreword
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Executive summary
Overview
Why creativity and critical thinking matter
Fostering creativity and critical thinking in education: Project objectives
Better understanding creativity and critical thinking
Figure 1.1. Theory of action of the development phase of the project
Prototyping resources and survey instruments for teaching, learning and assessing creativity and critical thinking
Rubrics to support creativity and critical thinking in teaching and learning
Table 1.1. OECD rubric on creativity and critical thinking(domain-general, comprehensive)
Table 1.2. OECD rubric on creativity and critical thinking (domain-general, class-friendly)
Lesson plans to support creativity and critical thinking
Table 1.3. Design criteria for activities that foster creativity or critical thinking skills
Box 1.1. One example of a lesson plan fostering critical thinking and creativity: What controls my health?
Professional development plans
Feedback from the fieldwork
Take-aways and next steps
Figure 1.2. Theory of action for an OECD validation projecton creativity and critical thinking
Creativity and critical thinking: From conceptsto teacher-friendly rubrics
Creativity and critical thinking: Two distinct skills that matter
Figure 2.1. Critical skills for the most innovative jobs, by type of innovation
Tertiary-educated workers who contribute to their organisation’s innovation activitiesface higher skill requirements than non-innovative graduates
Figure 2.2. Most societies support the fostering of creativityand critical thinking in education
It is more important that schools in our country teach...
Figure 2.3. Skills for innovation: Three skills categories
Definitions, theories and dimensions of creativity and critical thinking
Using rubrics to improve teaching, learning and assessment
Table 2.1. OECD rubric on creativity and critical thinking (domain-general, comprehensive)
Table 2.2. OECD rubric on creativity and critical thinking (domain-general, class-friendly)
Table 2.3. OECD assessment rubric: Creativity
Table 2.4. OECD assessment rubric: Critical thinking
Development of the OECD rubrics: The convergence process
How teachers and teams used the rubric(s) in the field
Figure 2.4. How and how frequently teachers in the intervention used the OECD rubrics
Percentage of teachers using project rubrics in the last six months
Figure 2.5. How and how frequently intervention teachers used the OECD rubrics, by team
Percentage of teachers using project rubrics in the last six months
Summary and conclusion
Annex 2.A1. OECD domain-specific rubrics on creativity and critical thinking
Table 2.A1.1 Class-friendly rubric (Science)
Table 2.A1.2. Class-friendly rubric (Maths)
Table 2.A1.3 Class-friendly rubric (Visual arts)
Table 2.A1.4. Class-friendly rubric (Music)
Table 2.A1.5. Class-friendly rubric (Language arts)
Annex 2.A2. Examples of rubrics used or designed by project teams in participating countries
Table 2.A2.1. Continuum of critical and creative thinking for teachers (US [Vista] team)
Table 2.A2.2. Student self-assessment continuum of criticaland creative thinking (US [Vista] team)
Eleven signature pedagogies related to the fostering of creativity and critical thinking
Signature pedagogies: What are we talking about?
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
Related evidence
For more information
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
For more information
10. Studio Thinking (visual arts education)
Main features of the pedagogy
How it is supposed to foster creativity and critical thinking
For more information
11. Teaching for Artistic Behavior (visual arts education)
Main features of the pedagogy
For more information
References
Creativity and critical thinking in everyday teaching and learning
A framework to design learning experiences that nurture creativity and critical thinking
Box 4.1. “Creative in what?” Arguments for domain-specific creativity
What could it look like? Examples from lesson plans across subject areas
Table 4.1. Distribution of OECD repository of lesson plans for creativityand critical thinking by key characteristics
Table 4.2. Examples of teaching techniques to promote some aspectsof creativity and critical thinking skills
What are the benefits or disadvantages of a proposed solution/idea? Once a solution/idea is proposed, what occurs as a result? What are the negative and positive outcomes of the solution?
Rationale for order of solutions
What is the rationale for the solution as proposed? Could the solution be proposed/justified in a different way?
Reverse engineering
Tell a well-known story backwards: start from the end and make it unfold back to the beginning. Highlight moments where the story could have taken different directions.
Role playing
Put yourself in the place of character/person X1, and say and do what your think he/she would feel/think/do in situation Y/how he/she would respond to question Y/what solution he/she would propose for issue Y. (Combine with role rotation and reflection.)
SWOT method and comparison with priors
Write down your first reactions to this topic/idea/argument (X). Now, take time to examine its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats: What are its main merits? Are there weak points where it does not hold together? If this idea/solution/argumen
Test and assess hypotheses
Now that a solution has been proposed, how can you demonstrate that it would lead to the desired outcome? How can that outcome be simulated? Can you design an experiment to test your hypothesis? What type of evidence would we need to know if the hypothesi
Using and suggesting metaphors
Think of other situations/relationships that are similar/analogous to that which is observed. Connect this problem/question with similar problem/question in another subject/discipline.
Waiting time
Stop and think for several minutes before answering to develop more intuitive/deeper responses.
Technique
Prompts for students
Type of task
Driving question or problem
Student tasks
Science activities
Explain a physical phenomenon
Why do you feel colder when you are wet than when you are dry when you are sitting by the pool?
Students find an answer to a scientific question by applying the scientific method (e.g. experiments, data analysis).
Solve an environmental problem
How can we reduce air pollution?
Students identify the causes of a problem and propose a solution. May require taking into account conditions for success going beyond the scientific sphere (e.g. socio-economic constraints).
Design an artefact
How can we build a tornado-proof structure?
Students are asked to design an artefact fulfilling certain constraints.
Challenge a theory
Can you imagine an alternative taxonomy to classify living beings?
Students challenge a theory or scientific construct by comparing it to competing theories or constructs.
Imagine scientific counterfactuals
What would the world look like if the theory of plate tectonics did not apply?
Students engage in counterfactual reasoning to imagine what the implications would be if certain conditions were changed, for instance, if a scientific theory did not apply.
Table 4.3. Examples of tasks per discipline to foster creative and critical thinking skills
Type of task
Driving question or problem
Student tasks
Mathematics activities
Ill-structured mathematical problem
Find a possible destination for this year’s school trip.
Students solve an authentic problem that mirrors real-world situations. The problem leaves room for interpretation and the data provided are inconclusive so students will have to define the problem space, take into account different alternatives and justi
Multi-solution tasks
Calculate the perimeter and the area of a figure in at least three different ways.
Multi-solution tasks have one single answer but different methods can be used to reach it.
Visual arts activities
Merging different art forms
Produce a contemporary piece of graffiti inspired by cave art.
Students deconstruct art forms into their different components (e.g. technique, themes) and produce a personal piece of art combining elements from different art forms.
Challenging art theories
Is graffiti a legitimate art form?Can functional objects be considered art?
Students consider whether traditional definitions of art hold in view of unconventional pieces of art.
Conveying emotional or aesthetic experience
Choose objects that represent you and put them together so that they make up a face or figure.
Students produce a visual representation of their inner self.
Interdisciplinary activities
Synergies between artistic disciplines
Imagine how a classic poem or other literary text would sound to a rap beat.
Students analyse a piece of art through the lenses of a different artistic discipline (e.g. a painting through the lens of literature, a musical piece from the perspective of visual arts).
Synergies between science and arts
Produce a humorous print about cell structure for a t-shirt.
Students play with scientific concepts through the techniques of artistic disciplines, e.g. metaphors, poetry, imagery and visualisation.
Design problem involving art and technology
Design a fashion accessory that can be used as bicycle lightning.
Students design an artefact that has to fulfil both functional and aesthetic constraints.
Type of task
Driving question or problem
Student tasks
Table 4.4. Creativity and critical thinking in the science lesson plan Evaporative cooling
Inquiring
Imagining
Doing
Reflecting
Creativity in science: rubric descriptors
Make connections to other scientific concepts or conceptual ideas in other disciplines.
Generate and play with unusual and radical ideas when approaching or solving a scientific problem.
Pose and propose how to solve a scientific problem in a personally novel way.
Reflect on steps taken to pose and solve a scientific problem.
Critical thinking in science: rubric descriptors
Identify andv question assumptions and generally accepted ideas of a scientific explanation or approach to a problem.
Consider several perspectives on a scientific problem.
Explain both strengths and limitations of a scientific solution based on logical and possibly other criteria (practical, ethical, etc.).
Reflect on the chosen scientific approach or solution relative to possible alternatives.
Examples of implementation from the lesson plan
Making connections between experiences of being cold while wet and scientific concepts.Identifying and questioning ways to observe and measure evaporation and temperature change.
Generating an initial model to explain the phenomenon of being cold while wet based on prior knowledge and other possible explanations.Making assumptions and exploring different theories to explain patterns in their data.Reviewing models and assumptions
Proposing explanatory models of evaporative cooling (from initial representations to computer-based models).Explaining both strengths and limitations of the proposed explanations for evaporation.Acknowledging potential bias, uncertainty about model param
Peer evaluation of the different models based on the rubric followed by final revision of their own model.Presentation of the reviewed models to the class and final reflection.Assessment of the unit at the end of the activity to reflect on what has been
Table 4.5. Creativity and critical thinking in the mathematics lesson plan
A world of limited resources
Inquiring
Imagining
Doing
Reflecting
Creativity in science: rubric descriptors
Make connections to other visual arts concepts and media or to conceptual ideas in other disciplines.
Play with unusual and radical visual arts ideas when preparing or creating a piece of visual art.
Create visual art that shows expressive qualities or personally novel ways to engage a subject matter.
Reflect on steps taken in creating a piece of visual art and on its novelty compared to conventions.
Critical thinking in science: rubric descriptors
Identify and question assumptions and conventional rules in a piece of visual art (content, style, technique, colour, composition, etc.).
Consider several perspectives on the content, technique or expression of a piece of visual arts.
Explain both strengths and limitations of a piece of visual arts justified by aesthetic, logical and possibly other criteria.
Reflect on the chosen expressive choices of a visual arts piece relative to possible alternatives.
Examples of implementation from the lesson plan
Making connections (e.g. between ancient forms and new forms of art/graffiti).Exploring the technical characteristics and the socio-cultural background of graffiti art and cave art (e.g. colours, materials, shape, text, imagery, purpose, motivation, cont
Envisioning an artistic output by playing with the techniques and materials used in graffiti art and cave art. Thinking about how to combine these in a single piece of artwork.Interpreting pieces from different art movements (ancient and new) and compari
Producing a piece of contemporary graffiti based on a piece of cave art, or a piece of cave art based on a piece of contemporary graffiti.Identifying the weaknesses and strengths of own and others’ perspectiveson graffiti art(based on aesthetic or soci
Presenting an initial sketch of the envisioned graffiti or cave paining and revising it based on feedback.Justifying own opinion on graffiti art while acknowledging the uncertainty of the endorsed opinion.
Table 4.7. Creativity and critical thinking in the music lesson plan Musical poetry
Inquiring
Imagining
Doing
Reflecting
Creativity in science: rubric descriptors
Make connections to other concepts and knowledge from the same or from other disciplines.
Generate and play with unusual and radical ideas.
Produce, perform or envision a meaningful output that is personally novel.
Reflect on the novelty of a solution and of its possible consequences.
Critical thinking in science: rubric descriptors
Identify and question assumptions and generally accepted ideas or practices.
Consider several perspectives to a problem based on different assumptions.
Explain both strengths and limitations of a product, a solution or a theory justified by logical, ethical or aesthetic criteria.
Reflect on the chosen solution/position relative to possible alternatives.
Examples of implementation from the lesson plan
Making connections between historical events and arts or technology.
Understanding the context of historical events and current characteristics of regions, analysing and addressing knowledge gaps through research.
Investigating an historical period, empathising with the assigned social groups and identifying some defining features.
Playing with scenarios and thinking counterfactually: imagining alternative scenarios if the historical event had not taken place.
Considering new sequences of historical events from a different point of departure.
Considering what the economic consequences would have been if the historical event had not taken place.
Creating a performance to present the results of their research.
Replicating the exercise with a foresight perspective by looking at how the future might be and the challenges to overcome.
Presenting the imagined alternative scenarios, appreciating their novelty and reflecting on ways to improve them.
Students assessing the scenarios elaborated by their peers based on a rubric provided by the teacher.
Final discussion on the value of scenario-building and counterfactual reasoning.
Key insights
Teacher professional development plans
Box 5.1. Plans and actions to introduce the project’s ideas and tools to teachers in Brazil and the Netherlands
Box 5.2. Linking content to professional practice and collaborative workshops to foster teachers’ active learning in Spain
Box 5.3. The accompaniment of teachers in Hungary, India,the Netherlands and Wales
Box 5.4. Fostering instructional and classroom management skill in the Netherlands and Thailand
Box 5.5. Promoting the emergence of a professional learning community in Brazil
Box 5.6. Peer dialogue to foster collective reflection among teachersin the Vista District (United States)
Box 5.7. Engaging school and system leadership in Brazil
Teacher attitudes and practices around creativity and critical thinking
Introduction
Shaping teachers’ attitudes and practices for fostering innovation skills
Teacher attitudes towards creativity and critical thinking
Percentage of teachers who...
Percentage of teachers who...
Percentage of teachers agreeing that...
Change pre-post between and control groups in the percentage of teachers who...
Change pre-post between intervention and control groups in the percentage of teachers agreeing that...
Change pre-post between intervention and control groups in the percentage of teachers agreeing that...
Teachers’ instruction and assessment practices around creativity and critical thinking
Percentage of teachers using the following practices in at least 25% of their lessons
Percentage of teachers using the following practices in at least 25% of their lessons
Change pre-post between intervention and control groups in the percentage of teachers using the following practices in at least 25% of their lessons
Teachers’ reports on the intervention
Percentage of teachers reporting changes in pedagogy in the last six months
Percentage of teachers reporting collaboration with peers in relation to the intervention in the last six months
Percentage of teachers reporting collaboration that trying to foster and assess students’ creativity and critical thinking in the last six months had a positive effect on...
Key insights
Annex A. List of tables available online
Effects of the project on students’ outcomes and developmentof survey instruments
The OECD-CERI project
The research questions
Development and validation of the instruments
The study group
Table 7.1. Number of students who completed an instrument at the beginning of the
Measuring the effects of the intervention with students
Table 7.3. Positive and negative significant results associated with the effect of the
A snapshot of class-level analysis
Conclusions
Country team notes
Brazilian Team
Figure 8.1. Teachers largely adopted the project rubrics, Brazilian Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who reported any use of the project rubrics
Figure 8.2. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Brazilian Team
Figure 8.3. Students participating in the project, Brazilian Team
Dutch Team
Figure 8.4. Teachers largely adopted the project rubrics, Dutch TeamPercentage of intervention teachers who reported any use of the project rubrics
Figure 8.5. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Dutch Team
Figure 8.6. Students participating in the project, Dutch Team
French (CRI) Team
Figure 8.7. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, French (CRI) Team
Figure 8.8. Students participating in the project, French (CRI) Team
French (Lamap) Team
Figure 8.9. Teachers’ enthusiastic beliefs around teaching and learning creativity and critical thinking, less around assessing them, French (Lamap) Team at baseline
Percentage of teachers who believed that…
Figure 8.10. Students participating in the project, French (Lamap) Team
Hungarian Team
Figure 8.11. Teachers’ sense of preparedness decreasedas their awareness increased, Hungarian Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who feel prepared for fostering students’ creativity and critical thinking
Figure 8.12. Teachers largely adopted the project rubrics, Hungarian Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who reported any use of the project rubrics
Figure 8.13. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Hungarian Team
Figure 8.14. Students participating in the project, Hungarian Team
Indian Team
Figure 8.15. Teachers’ enthusiastic beliefs around creativityand critical thinking, Indian Team at baseline
Percentage of teachers who believed that…
Figure 8.16. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Indian Team
Figure 8.17. Students participating in the project, Indian Team
Russian Team
Figure 8.18. Teachers largely adopted the project rubrics, Russian Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who reported any use of the project rubrics
Figure 8.19. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Russian Team
Figure 8.20. Students participating in the project, Russian Team
Slovak Team
Figure 8.21. Teachers’ enthusiastic beliefs around creativity and critical thinking,Slovak Team at baseline
Percentage of teachers who believed that…
Figure 8.22. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Slovak Team
Figure 8.23. Students participating in the project, Slovak Team
Spanish (Madrid) Team
Figure 8.24. Teachers’ enthusiastic beliefs around creativity and critical thinking,Spanish (Madrid) Team at baseline
Percentage of teachers who believed that…
Figure 8.25. Students participating in the project, Spanish (Madrid) Team
Thai Team
Figure 8.26. Teachers’ sense of preparedness increased, Thai Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who feel prepared for fostering students’ creativity and critical thinking
Figure 8.27. Teachers largely adopted the project rubrics, Thai Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who reported any use of the project rubrics
Figure 8.28. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, Thai Team
Figure 8.29. Students participating in the project, Thai Team
UK (Welsh) Team
Figure 8.30. Teachers’ pedagogical approaches changedand students’ attention increased, UK (Welsh) Team
Percentage of intervention teachers who reported positive changes over the project in…
Figure 8.31. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, UK (Welsh) Team
Figure 8.32. Students participating in the project, UK (Welsh) Team
US (Montessori) Team
Figure 8.33. Teachers’ enthusiastic beliefs around creativity and critical thinking,US (Montessori) Team at baseline
Percentage of teachers who believed that…
Figure 8.34. Students participating in the project, US (Montessori) Team
US (Vista) Team
Figure 8.35. Effects of the intervention on students’ outcomes, US (Vista) Team
Figure 8.36. Students participating in the project, US (Vista) Team
Technical Annex