The effect of implementation of a creative thinking model on the development of creative thinking skills in high school students: A systematic review

Abstract Creative thinking plays a pivotal role in science, innovation and the arts, solidifying its significance in daily life problem solving as well as maintaining and fostering our well‐being. Creative problem solving (CPS) and critical reasoning enables students to be challenged and to grasp complex problems and is defined as one's ability to generate both original and useful ideas to be adopted in a wide array of situations. However, the literature concerning the integration and adoption of creative thinking models in educational systems and the implications this has on creative thinking skills is limited. To investigate whether the implementation of a creative thinking model leads to the development of creative thinking skills in high school students, and whether it affects any other abilities of high school students, Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed were systematically screened on 21 February 2022. Studies that adopted a CPS model in a high school setting and investigated its role in improving the creative thinking skills of students were included. Eight studies that spanned 542 high school students were included in this systematic review. Implementation of creative thinking models, including FPSPI, SCAMPER, quantum‐based CPS learning, and traditional CPS models, resulted in notable improvements in the development of creative thinking skills in high school students. Improvements were also evident in the participant's academic achievements, concept understanding and higher‐order thinking skills. A data extraction form was formulated in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations and (GRADE) criterion for risk of bias was incorporated. The implementation of a creative thinking model in educational institutions results in the development and improvement of creative thinking skills in high school students when used alongside traditional teaching methods. Future studies should focus on investigating the adoption of these models and others on a wider scale, spanning several geographical locations and education systems.