What is creative thinking?

The Australian Curriculum defines creative thinking as students being able to, "generate and apply new ideas in specific contexts, seeing existing situations in a new way, identifying alternative explanations, and seeing or making new links that generate a positive outcome.

Creative thinking is open-ended and an important skill-set for developing student's ability and confidence to learn and later work in new or changing circumstances.

How to teach creative thinking

The Australian Curriculum talks about critical and creative thinking as one general capability. This means that both critical and creative thinking are important skills in all the eight key learning areas - English, mathematics, science, humanities and social sciences, the arts, technologies, health and physical education, and languages.

To find out more:

• Listen to Ron Beghetto’s Edspresso series interview and read his article in the first issue of Future EDge
• Listen to Christine Cawsey's Edspresso series interview
• Read John Munro's occasional paper and teaching practice guide

In his Edspresso series interview Ron Beghetto argues that all students have the capacity to think creatively, and education can provide them with opportunities to develop creative thinking skills.

Creative thinking resources

• Professional learning for creative thinking.

• The Arts Unit supports creative and practical arts in NSW.