Creative styles and insight problem solving in secondary school

Authors

  • Ruth Osca-Cañamas
  • Alejandro Núñez-López
  • Joan Josep Solaz-Portolés University of Valencia image/svg+xml

Keywords:

Creativity. Secondary school. Creative styles. Problem-solving. Insight problems.

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the creative style of secondary school students and analyze its relationship with insight problem solving. A set of five insight problems (three visual and two verbal) and Basadur’s Creative Problem Solving Profile (CPSP) test were administered to 138 students from three different grade levels (9th, 10th, and 11th grade). Based on the obtained data and the non-parametric inferential statistical tests conducted, the following conclusions can be drawn: a) The predominant creative style is the Optimizer; b) Neither gender nor grade level significantly alters the distribution of students across creative styles; c) Performance on insight problem solving is satisfactory and is not influenced by gender, but is influenced by grade level; and d) Students' creative style has no significant effect on their performance on insight problem solving.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Ruth Osca-Cañamas

    Máster en Investigación en Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales. Universitat de València, España. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3304-3415. 

  • Alejandro Núñez-López

    Doctor en Nanociencia y Nanotecnología y Máster en Didáctica CC Experimentales. Universitat de València, España. ORCID: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-6211-2011

  • Joan Josep Solaz-Portolés, University of Valencia

    Doctor en Química (Investigación Didáctica de las Ciencias). Universitat de València, España. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4690-6556

References

BATCHELDER, W. H.; ALEXANDER, G. E. Insight problem solving: A critical examination of the possibility of formal theory. The Journal of Problem Solving, v. 5, n. 1, p. 6, 2012.

BASADUR, M. S. The Basadur Simplex creative problem-solving profile inventory: Development, reliability and validity. Hamilton, Ontario: McMaster University. 1998.

BASADUR, M.; GELADE, G.; BASADUR, T. Creative problem-solving process styles, cognitive work demands, and organizational adaptability. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, v. 50, n. 1, p. 80–115, 2014.

CUNNINGHAM, J. B.; MACGREGOR, J. N. Productive and re-productive thinking in solving insight problems. The Journal of Creative Behavior, v. 48, n. 1, p. 44–63, 2014.

DEYOUNG, C. G.; FLANDERS, J. L.; PETERSON, J. B. Cognitive abilities involved in insight problem solving: An individual differences model. Creativity Research Journal, v. 20, n. 3, p. 278–290, 2008.

HOUTZ, J. C.; SELBY, E. C. Problem solving style, creative thinking, and problem-solving confidence. Educational Research Quarterly, v. 33, n. 1, p. 18–30, 2009.

KELLER, C. J.; LAVISH, L. A.; BROWN, C. Creative styles and gender roles in undergraduate students. Creativity Research Journal, v. 19, n. 2–3, p. 273–280, 2007.

KIRTON, M. J. Adaptors and innovators: A description and measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, v. 61, n. 5, p. 622–629, 1976.

KIRTON, M. Adaptors and innovators: Cognitive style and personality. En: ISAKSEN, S. (Ed.). Frontiers of creativity research: Beyond the basics. Buffalo, NY: Bearly Limited, 1987. p. 282–304.

KIRTON, M. Adaptors and innovators: Styles of creativity and problem solving. London: Routledge, 1994.

KUMAR, V. K.; HOLMAN, E. R.; RUDEGDAIR, P. Creativity styles of freshmen students. Journal of Creative Behavior, v. 25, p. 320–323, 1991.

KUMAR, V. K.; KEMMLER, D.; HOLMAN, E. R. The Creativity Styles Questionnaire—Revised. Creativity Research Journal, v. 10, n. 1, p. 51–58, 1997.

PUCCIO, G.; GRIVAS, C. Examining the relationship between personality traits and creativity styles. Creativity and Innovation Management, v. 18, n. 4, p. 247–255, 2009.

SOLAZ-PORTOLÉS, J. J.; SANJOSÉ, V. Representations in problem-solving in science: Directions for practice. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, v. 8, n. 2, p. 4, 2007.

SUHERMAN, S.; VIDÁKOVICH, T. An assessment of creativity style inventory: A Rasch model. Journal of Creativity, v. 35, n. 3, p. 100110, 2025.

WANG, M. Z.; CHEN, W.; ZHANG, C.; DENG, X. L. Personality types and scholarly creativity in undergraduate students: The mediating roles of creative styles. Personality and Individual Differences, v. 105, p. 170–174, 2017.

Published

2026-05-27

How to Cite

Creative styles and insight problem solving in secondary school. Revista Internacional de Pesquisa em Didática das Ciências e Matemática, [S. l.], p. e026003, 2026. Disponível em: https://periodicoscientificos.itp.ifsp.edu.br/index.php/revin/article/view/3151. Acesso em: 14 jun. 2026.