Classroom climate and creativity: The indirect effect of autonomous motivation

The present study investigated the association between classroom climate and creativity and the indirect effect of autonomous motivation. Senior high school students (N = 472) completed questionnaires measuring classroom climate and autonomous motivation and two tasks in the Torrance tests of creative thinking. Correlation analysis showed that dimensions of class climate were positively correlated with creativity, and autonomous motivation was also positively correlated with creativity. Structural equation modeling revealed that both the teacher-support and task-orientation dimensions of classroom climate showed indirect positive predictions for creativity through autonomous motivation. Our findings improve the understanding of the association between classroom climate and creativity and its indirect mechanism. Further, these results can inspire methods to cultivate creativity in school settings.