Creativity in preschool education and its relationship with self-esteem

Introduction: Fostering creativity and self-esteem in childhood are very important factors in child development, and the relationships between the two are established throughout the different stages of development. The objectives of the research were a) to analyse creativity in children aged 3 to 6; b) to understand how gender, geographical context, school year, age and participation or non-participation in extracurricular activities influence the development of creativity; and c) to determine whether there is a relationship between levels of self-esteem and creative ability. Methodology: This study analyses creativity and its relationship with self-esteem in 137 children in early childhood education. A sample from two schools (urban and rural) in Granada, Spain, was evaluated using the Creative Thinking Test and the Questionnaire for the Assessment of Self-Esteem in Childhood. After verifying the normality of the data, inferential analyses were performed (Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test), calculating the effect size. Results: The results showed that girls and rural students scored higher in creativity. Furthermore, creativity increased with age, school year and participation in extracurricular activities. Correlations have been established between creativity and self-esteem, especially in the academic and general dimensions. Conclusions: The study concludes that fostering creativity and self-esteem from an early age is key to children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. As practical implications of the study, the importance of fostering development by providing a safe and motivating environment, both at school and at home, was highlighted. Limitations of the study included sample size and the specific context of the study.