The Effects of Willpower on Chinese Primary and Secondary School Students’ Creativity

Abstract

Creativity of primary and secondary school students is a major focus of research in the educational science. In this study, we examined how willpower affects the creativity of Chinese primary and secondary school students and what role the knowledge reserves and creative thinking play in this process. Specifically, we hypothesize that (a) elementary and middle school students’ willpower has a direct positive effect on their creativity, (b) willpower influences their creativity mediated by knowledge reserves and creative thinking, and (c) willpower influences their creativity development through a significant serial multiple mediating effect of knowledge reserves and creative thinking. In this study, a total of 5,176 primary and middle school students ranging from the grade 1 to 9 completed a set of questionnaires assessing willpower, knowledge reserves, creative thinking, and creativity. We used structural equation modeling to test the relationship between the variables in the Research Objectives. Results indicate that the direct positive effect of elementary and middle school students’ willpower on creativity production is weak, and the indirect effect mediated by knowledge reserves and creative thinking is significant. Results suggest that cultivating primary and secondary school students’ willpower is important to enhance their creativity, and teachers can better help Chinese primary and secondary school students develop their creativity by not only choosing appropriate teaching strategies in the process of creative education, but also by paying attention to making willpower closely integrated with the knowledge reserves and creative thinking.