ERIC Number: EJ1397658
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1363-755X
EISSN: EISSN-1467-7687
Available Date: N/A
Creative Thinking and Brain Network Development in Schoolchildren
Duval, Philippe Eon; Fornari, Eleonora; Décaillet, Marion; Ledoux, Jean-Baptiste; Beaty, Roger E.; Denervaud, Solange
Developmental Science, v26 n6 e13389 2023
Fostering creative minds has always been a premise to ensure adaptation to new challenges of human civilization. While some alternative educational settings (i.e., Montessori) were shown to nurture creative skills, it is unknown how they impact underlying brain mechanisms across the school years. This study assessed creative thinking and resting-state functional connectivity via fMRI in 75 children (4-18 y.o.) enrolled either in Montessori or traditional schools. We found that pedagogy significantly influenced creative performance and underlying brain networks. Replicating past work, Montessori-schooled children showed higher scores on creative thinking tests. Using static functional connectivity analysis, we found that Montessori-schooled children showed decreased within-network functional connectivity of the salience network. Moreover, using dynamic functional connectivity, we found that traditionally-schooled children spent more time in a brain state characterized by high intra-default mode network connectivity. These findings suggest that pedagogy may influence brain networks relevant to creative thinking--particularly the default and salience networks. Further research is needed, like a longitudinal study, to verify these results given the implications for educational practitioners.
Descriptors: Creative Thinking, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Diagnostic Tests, Tests, Montessori Method, Educational Philosophy, Teaching Methods, Scores, Preschool Children, Elementary School Students, Secondary School Students, Cognitive Ability
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A