Exploring creative thinking skills and creativity in English courses: a case study of two continuum international baccalaureate schools in Türkiye

Abstract

Creative thinking skills and creativity are essential competencies for the 21st century and have become integral to modern educational frameworks. The International Baccalaureate (IB) is known to include these skills across the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). This concurrent mixed-methods case study investigates how creativity and creative thinking skills are defined, perceived, and operationalized in English classes in two continuum IB schools in Türkiye. Data were collected through semi structured teacher interviews, teacher and student questionnaires, class observations, curricular document analysis, and student written outcome samples, all of which ensured triangulation of perspectives. The findings indicate that the IB curricula foster creative thinking skills and creativity both explicitly, through Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills, and implicitly through the broader curricular philosophy. However, there are still challenges, including teachers’ misconceptions about the distinction between creativity and creative thinking skills, ambiguity created by grouping creative and critical thinking under the same ATL category, and time constraints that limit systematic integration. To address these issues, Lin’s (2011) Creative Pedagogy Framework was revised to include creative thinking skills as a fourth component alongside teaching creatively, teaching for creativity, and creative learning. The final version of the Creative Pedagogy Framework for Continuum IB Schools redefines these components from an IB perspective and provides structured guidance for more consistent integration into classroom practice. While the study’s scope was limited to two schools, it offers a foundation for further research in other IB contexts and contributes to the broader discourse on creativity in education.