Scientific inquiry as a mechanism for developing students’ engineering creativity: a multicriteria level-based diagnostic approach

Introduction Creativity is increasingly positioned as a meaningful outcome of engineering education; however, university practice still lacks reproducible models for its purposeful development and transparent tools for monitoring change. This study empirically tests the effectiveness of a formative intervention grounded in engaging students in scientific inquiry as a sustained academic-professional practice. Methods The research follows a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design comparing an experimental group (EG, n = 135) and a control group (CG, n = 137), with a total sample of N = 272. Engineering creativity is operationalized as a categorical, level-based construct represented by nine indicators grouped into four criteria: motivational, cognitive, performance-based, and reflective. At pretest (T1), both groups demonstrated comparable level distributions across all indicators. At posttest (T2), between-group differences were examined using Pearson's χ ² test for 2 × 4 contingency tables, with Cramer's V reported as an effect-size measure. Results At posttest (T2), the experimental group showed a consistent shift in the level structure toward higher attainment across all criteria, whereas changes in the control group remained moderate. The observed between-group differences indicate a stronger positive dynamic in the experimental condition. Discussion The findings support the effectiveness of fostering engineering creativity through scientific inquiry within the instructional cycle and demonstrate the practical value of multicriteria level-based diagnostics for evaluating educational effects.