The effect of creative thinking on academic performance: Mechanisms, heterogeneity, and implication

Based on data collected from 2,355 students from a high school in China, we find a positive relation between creative thinking and academic performance. As two vital dimensions of creative thinking, convergent thinking plays a more important role in students' academic performance than divergent thinking. There is evidence that creative thinking influences academic performance through students' self-esteem and internal locus of control. Further research notes that the impact of creative thinking on academic performance is dissimilar for different groups. It plays a more positive role in the academic performance of boys, low-grade students, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Education policymakers should focus on cultivating students' creative thinking, and intervention policies aimed at creative thinking for disadvantaged students will produce higher returns. The main contributions of this study lie in unravelling the effect of creative thinking on academic performance, exploring the mechanisms through which this relationship develops, and discussing the heterogeneity effects among different groups.