Can Science Games (SGs) Foster Creative Thinking? Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study of Primary School Students

Yi Su; Xiuying Liu

doi:10.71204/xbferv14

Authors

Yi Su Beijing Union University Author
Xiuying Liu Beijing Union University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71204/xbferv14

Keywords:

Science Games, Creative Thinking, Primary School Students

Abstract

Creative thinking is a critical dimension of scientific thinking, as stipulated in the Science Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (2022 Edition), and is a key component in cultivating primary school students' core scientific literacy. The Science Games (SGs), an important practical vehicle in primary and secondary science education that draws on the sports competition model while creating high-tech, authentic problem-solving contexts, have been widely adopted in campus-based science education activities. Current scholarly inquiries have predominantly focused on the effects of subject teaching, programming projects, and inquiry-based learning on students' creative thinking, whereas empirical investigations specifically addressing the development of primary school students' creative thinking within the SGs setting remain considerably scarce, and the educational outcomes and characteristic effects of such activities lack systematic examination. This study recruited 13 primary school students from the 6th Zhengzhou Primary and Secondary School SGs as research participants. Employing a multimethod approach—including pre- and post-intervention measurements using the Williams Creativity Assessment Packet, semi-structured interviews, and teacher observation records—the study conducted a longitudinal comparative analysis of students' creative thinking development across the activity cycle of the SGs. The findings reveal that participation in the SGs significantly influences all dimensions of primary school students' creative thinking, effectively enhancing their performance in terms of challenge, imagination, curiosity, and risk-taking. Furthermore, the activity compensates for the deficiencies of traditional science instruction, such as insufficient practical inquiry and overly uniform models of innovation training. This study elucidates the unique educational value of the SGs in fostering scientific thinking and innovative capacity among primary school students, thereby providing both empirical evidence and theoretical reference for the practical cultivation of creative thinking in primary science education and the educational promotion of science and technology competition activities.

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