The impact of school climate on trait creativity in primary school students: the mediating role of achievement motivation and proactive personality

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to identify relationships between school climate, proactive personality, achievement motivation, and the trait creativity of primary school students by means of a path model. We examined 603 Chinese primary school students in terms of their perceptions of their school climates and relationships with teachers and peers. The results indicated that school climate exerted a direct and significant impact on students’ trait creativity. Both proactive personality and achievement motivation mediated the relations between school climate and trait creativity. The findings suggest that schools should foster an open, tolerant, atmosphere that encourages innovation and be aware of the value of good teacher-student and peer relationships in this regard.

KEYWORDS:

• School climate
• proactive personality
• achievement motivation
• trait creativity
• mediation analysis
• structural equation modelling

Acknowledgments

We thank three anonymous reviewers for their comments on this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Shaoxing University and the principals of the participating schools

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by [Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province] under Grant numbers 18NDJC112YB and 18NDJC113YB.

Notes on contributors

Qiyang Gao

Qiyang Gao completed his PhD in Education at Zhejiang University, China. He is currently working in Shaoxing University. His research interests focus on creativity education.

Peiyao Chen

Peiyao Chen is a student with the department of primary school education, Shaoxing University. She is interested in teaching and learning literature, particularly with a interactive perspective.

Zan Zhou

Zan Zhou is currently working in Shaoxing University. His research interests include education policy, particularity their implications for creativity education.

Jielei Jiang

Jielei Jiang completed her PhD in Education at Shanghai Normal University, China. She is currently working in the area of teacher education in Shaoxing University. Her research interests include gifted and talented education, creativity education and school climate.