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LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Volume 3 | Issue 1 Article 3

2013

Creativity for Learning Biology in Higher Education

diki diki

Claremont Graduate University, diki.diki@cgu.edu

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/lux Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation

diki, diki (2013) "Creativity for Learning Biology in Higher Education," LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/lux/vol3/iss1/3

diki: Creativity for Learning Biology in Higher Education

Diki 1

Creativity for Learning Biology in Higher Education

Diki Diki School of Educational Studies Claremont Graduate University Abstract Learning biology is considered difficult, especially in some areas like cell division, genetics, and hormones (Cimer, 2012). On the other hand, there is a connection between student success in learning science with creativity (Son, 2009). As creativity can be defined as the formation of new and useful ways to solve a problem (Sternberg & Kaufmann, 2010), it can be used to help students to learn biology. Meanwhile, according to Guilford (1950), creativity includes divergent and convergent thinking. Research on creativity in learning biology helps to integrate different research findings, formulating ideas, and analogies (Dunbarr, 1997). Analogy is a process to explain a difficult topic, by referring to other more familiar topics. While integrating different research findings is important, students usually cannot find any relations among different topics. Formulating ideas is used to support students’ skills in developing a hypothesis and a resulting conclusion. Although the benefit of creativity in science education is critical, the research on this field is still lacking. The research in...