Analysis of Creative Thinking Skills Development under Active Learning Strategies

Educational systems are now focusing on skills enhancement, such as creative thinking skills (CTS), as a means of long-lasting, significant learning. To this end, some universities and higher education institutions incentivize active learning (AL) strategies as CTS developers. Indeed, a positive link among creative results, time availability, and the educational environment has been reported; however, it is mainly based on qualitative and perceptual results. For this reason, we present this comparative, quantitative study in the context of a Mexican high school, weighing the effectiveness of the flipped learning and gamification teaching strategies against a conventional approach. The study revealed no differences in the learning environment; instead, the type of activity and the teamwork interaction affected CTS the most. However, those who participated in the learning Strategies (LS) evaluated themselves higher than their peers in the traditional classes. These results highlight the independence of CTS toward the referred LS and set a departing point for further research addressing the course activities’ qualities seemingly related to CTS enhancement.