The Future of Education

Creativity is known today as an ability that is linked with Theory of Mind (ToM). Many studies have shown that both abilities can be developed and improved.  The substantial research in the field of creative studies showed that creative thinking abilities can be enhanced through intervention and training.  In previous study (Doron, 2016) the effectiveness of a unique and innovative short term intervention program for enhancing creative thinking, focusing on divergent thinking skills, was presented. In the present study our sample included 286 school children, ranging in age from 10 to 14, who participated in intervention program that had taken place over a period of ten weeks. The training included in a series of assignments, inspired by theoretical and practical concepts such as perspective taking, ToM and the use of media in education. Uniquely, we allowed creativity and ToM training to diffuse into children’s everyday life by tasking children with practicing elements of the program at their free time, when they were watching television or other media for their enjoyment. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of the program, in enhancing divergent thinking skills, which were measured by fluency and uniqueness scores according to Tel Aviv Creativity Test (TACT), and ToM, measured according to the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (The RMET).  Results showed that children who participated in the program activities scored significantly higher in the creativity and ToM tests at the end of the intervention program. Results indicated that creative thinking, and in particular divergent thinking abilities, as well as ToM can be enhanced through the kind of training that was proposed in the study.