In a world where innovation and adaptability are increasingly valued, creative thinking has become an essential skill for success. However, many schools still prioritise repetitive learning and consistent testing over creative expression and problem solving. This method not only chokes students’ imagination and potential but also fails to prepare them for the complex challenges of the 21st century.

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Definition and Presentation

“Creative thinking is the ability to think outside the box, to generate new and original ideas, and to make connections between seemingly unrelated things.”

Roger Von Oech

Creative thinking can also be defined as the process of sensing problems or needs, and then coming up with new and original ideas for solving or fulfilling them.

Quoting Adeyemo Jesutofunmi Janet, “Thinking outside the box comes from the pictorial analogy of stretching beyond a confined environment.” Instead of thinking within the specific circle, which may narrow your ability to spread the wings of your mind, you need to see the possibility of achieving a desired result outside the circumference of a restricted circle—think outside the box.

For a child to be able to provide a solution to a problem beyond human understanding, such a child must be able to stretch his or her thinking ability. Creative thinking is reasoning beyond human sentiments. It’s being able to produce an unusual result.

In today’s world, creative thinking has been brutally abused in academic settings. Students’ thinking capability is often choked by lecturers not wanting them to see beyond the pictures of what have been taught in class but to reproduce exactly what they were taught.

Lecturers or teachers are supposed to teach and allow the students to understand and birth something new from their understanding, but that’s not the case in today’s world. Students are subjected to very narrow thinking, restricting their creativity both in studying and in making meaning of what has been taught.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 Students Engage in 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 Thinking?

The benefit of creative thinking is the unusual result it produces. You can’t continue to embrace mediocrity in the name of not wanting to stress your brain.

Creative thinking is a driving force for all learning settings and should be allowed to stay, and be nurtured by those who are to pass on knowledge. 

Creative thinking produces new ideas, services, and products that shape industries and improve lives.

It helps in solving complex problems, fosters adaptability to rapid change and uncertainty within students, enhances competitiveness, and helps in developing problem-solving skills.

𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀

1. 𝙀𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣: The school management and lecturers/teachers should be able to incorporate arts into various subjects/courses to foster creativity. The best way I can express myself is through creative writing and journalism. Students should be given an opportunity to do exactly that without the fear of being yelled at. Some students learn better through imagination and play. Therefore, play-based learning and imaginative activities should be incorporated into school learning. While I was in secondary school, one thing my school celebrated was science-related activities. At some point, I questioned the relevance of arts activities because they were never brought to the forefront, and this made most arts students, myself included, feel less valued for our artistic qualities. Schools should learn to celebrate arts activities and creativity.

2. 𝙁𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: Schools should encourage students to work on real-world projects that require creative problem-solving skills. Students should be taught to empathise, prototype, test solutions, and ideate.

3. 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝: Students should be taught to learn from their failures instead of being condemned. Teachers should be provided with professional development opportunities to foster creative thinking.

If lecturers/teachers must incorporate creative thinking in their lessons, they should start with open-ended questions, encouraging students to think critically.

Some lecturers/teachers teach without any enthusiasm, making students lose interest in the lesson. Lecturers/teachers should connect their lessons to real-life scenarios, making them more relatable and interesting. Allow students to generate ideas freely, without any fear of judgement. Students should be provided with options for projects, topics, or presentation methods. Lecturers/teachers should use visual arts, music, or drama to explore subjects in a creative way.

Lecturers/teachers shouldn’t teach without stories. They should share stories that illustrate concepts and inspire imagination. Students should also collaborate with one another to foster teamwork and creativity.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀

Promoting creative thinking in schools is essential for fostering innovative problem solvers, creative thinkers, and self-expressive individuals. By putting into practice the aforementioned tactics, schools can prepare students to succeed in an ever-evolving world, where imagination, adaptability, and innovation are highly significant. This will help to empower the next generation of thinkers, makers, and leaders by nurturing their creative potential and inspiring them to shape the future with imagination and courage.

A school should be a fun place to be, not a mortuary or a burial ground. Spice it up!