SINGAPORE: Educators are highlighting creativity as a crucial skill not just for students, but for success in the workplace as well.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Singaporean students came up top in an international benchmarking study on creative thinking.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 tested students on how well they generate creative ideas, as well as evaluate and improve on them.
“(This reflects) we are on the right track in our efforts to foster creativity and 21st century competencies in our students,” said Ms Anne Wong, principal master teacher at the Academy of Singapore Teachers.
“This will enable our students to thrive and take on the opportunities and challenges of the future.”
The results show that Singapore has in place a syllabus that nurtures creative thinking, and that teachers are sufficiently equipped to engage with students in such spaces, said educators.
Singapore students ranked first in generating creative and diverse ideas, while second – behind South Korea – in evaluating and improving ideas.
About 58 per cent of Singapore students were top performers in the field, more than twice the average of 27 per cent in OECD countries, the study revealed.
Less well-off students also fared better against their overseas peers, scoring above the average of 33 points.
Educators said the results indicate that students can think creatively to thrive, and this applies in a wide range of fields, even structured ones like science and technology.
“Creative skills have definitely been propagated in various forms, not only in the visual arts… but also in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics),” said Mr Paul Benedict Lincoln, a senior visual and performing arts lecturer at the National Institute of Education (NIE).
“There's definitely been a focus on looking at things like divergent thinking, critical thinking – all these which are contributing to an output known as ‘creative’."
But, Singaporeans do not think of themselves as creative.
Despite performing well in the study, just 64 per cent of the students said they were confident or very confident of being creative, compared with the OECD average of 73 per cent.
Even the Ministry of Education's director-general of education Liew Wei Li said the excellent results caught MOE by surprise.
Educators highlighted the need to build confidence in students both in schools and at home, so they believe in their capabilities and potential.
Ms Wong said teachers and parents should encourage students to be more confident in their creative thinking abilities, and affirm their efforts when they do so.
“It’s important for our teachers to (provide) a conducive environment where students feel safe to share ideas that may differ from what the teachers have… teachers have to be open minded,” she said.
For instance, inquiry-based learning approaches provide students with the space to exercise choice and share their voices, challenge their thinking and come up with innovative solutions, she noted.
There are also multimodal resources in the classrooms, including videos and artificial intelligence-enabled technological tools that can be used to engage students in constructing concepts and demonstrating their understanding creatively.
As students gradually enter the workplace, creativity will be just as important – in terms of innovation and adaptability, said educators.
"Now, you actually need to be creative even more than any other (traits) because the ability to create value is (highly sought after),” said associate professor Renee Tan, director of the Institute for Adult Learning.
MOE says it will continue to support teachers in improving their education approach, to foster students' creativity and boost their confidence.
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Earlier this year, it was reported that Singaporean students came up top in an international benchmarking study on creative thinking.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 tested students on how well they generate creative ideas, as well as evaluate and improve on them.
“(This reflects) we are on the right track in our efforts to foster creativity and 21st century competencies in our students,” said Ms Anne Wong, principal master teacher at the Academy of Singapore Teachers.
“This will enable our students to thrive and take on the opportunities and challenges of the future.”
The results show that Singapore has in place a syllabus that nurtures creative thinking, and that teachers are sufficiently equipped to engage with students in such spaces, said educators.
PISA CREATIVE THINKING STUDY
Singapore students ranked first in generating creative and diverse ideas, while second – behind South Korea – in evaluating and improving ideas.
About 58 per cent of Singapore students were top performers in the field, more than twice the average of 27 per cent in OECD countries, the study revealed.
Less well-off students also fared better against their overseas peers, scoring above the average of 33 points.
Educators said the results indicate that students can think creatively to thrive, and this applies in a wide range of fields, even structured ones like science and technology.
“Creative skills have definitely been propagated in various forms, not only in the visual arts… but also in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics),” said Mr Paul Benedict Lincoln, a senior visual and performing arts lecturer at the National Institute of Education (NIE).
“There's definitely been a focus on looking at things like divergent thinking, critical thinking – all these which are contributing to an output known as ‘creative’."
NEED TO BOLSTER CONFIDENCE
But, Singaporeans do not think of themselves as creative.
Despite performing well in the study, just 64 per cent of the students said they were confident or very confident of being creative, compared with the OECD average of 73 per cent.
Even the Ministry of Education's director-general of education Liew Wei Li said the excellent results caught MOE by surprise.
Educators highlighted the need to build confidence in students both in schools and at home, so they believe in their capabilities and potential.
Ms Wong said teachers and parents should encourage students to be more confident in their creative thinking abilities, and affirm their efforts when they do so.
“It’s important for our teachers to (provide) a conducive environment where students feel safe to share ideas that may differ from what the teachers have… teachers have to be open minded,” she said.
For instance, inquiry-based learning approaches provide students with the space to exercise choice and share their voices, challenge their thinking and come up with innovative solutions, she noted.
There are also multimodal resources in the classrooms, including videos and artificial intelligence-enabled technological tools that can be used to engage students in constructing concepts and demonstrating their understanding creatively.
As students gradually enter the workplace, creativity will be just as important – in terms of innovation and adaptability, said educators.
"Now, you actually need to be creative even more than any other (traits) because the ability to create value is (highly sought after),” said associate professor Renee Tan, director of the Institute for Adult Learning.
MOE says it will continue to support teachers in improving their education approach, to foster students' creativity and boost their confidence.
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