Identifying Subgroups of Students’ Creative Thinking Skills: An Application of Mixture Item Response Theory

Creative thinking is emphasized by educators to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Recent studies have suggested that creative thinking may not develop uniformly across individuals but instead cluster into distinct classes. Identifying these classes is critical for effectively supporting students’ creative skill development and tailoring educational strategies. This study investigates latent classes of creative thinking skills among 15-year-old students using data from the PISA 2022 Creative Thinking Assessment and applies a mixture item response model (MixIRT). The results revealed the three distinct latent classes: Class 3 (high creativity) was more likely to have high creative thinking skills and exhibited high proficiency in mathematics, reading, and science than the other classes. Members of Class 2 (medium creativity) demonstrated a medium level of creative thinking skills. Finally, members of Class 1 (low creativity) tended to have low creative thinking skills and displayed the lowest proficiency in mathematics, reading, and science. These findings highlight important distinctions among students and suggest opportunities for targeted educational interventions. Developing creativity training programs, especially for students in the low creativity class, could enhance their cognitive skills and promote the development of creative thinking, better preparing them to succeed in a complex world.