Cooperative mindset and creative self-concept in higher education

Cooperative mindset refers to both a way of thinking and a practice aimed at achieving social transformation and innovation through the involvement of multiple individuals in the creative process. Drawing upon the 7Cs framework, this study analyzes the relationship between cooperative mindset and creative self-concept in a sample of university students. The mediating role played by other creativity-related variables in this relationship is also examined. Participants were 1940 first-year students from a Spanish university (M_age = 18.99, SD = 1.70; 51.1 % male, 48.7 % female, 0.2 % non-binary). Results revealed that creative self-concept is associated with cooperative mindset, and that this relationship is mediated by critical thinking disposition but not by entrepreneurial self-efficacy. These findings suggest that cooperative mindset among higher education students could be enhanced through the implementation of approaches to teaching and learning that foster a creative self-concept.

Educational relevance statement

In order to develop a cooperative mindset among higher education students it is essential to foster their creative abilities through approaches to teaching and learning that encourage reflection and the critical appraisal of ideas, situations, and concepts. It is also important to provide them with opportunities to engage in the co-creation of solutions to real-world problems. This could help to produce individuals and societies that are able to work together to achieve the common good and to offer innovative and socially transformative solutions to the complex challenges we currently face.