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Table of Contents

1

5

2

6

3

7

Executive Summary

About the Study

Preparing Today’s
Students for Tomorrow

4

Factors to Infusing
Creativity in Learning

Barriers to Expanding
Creativity in Learning
With Technology

Appendix
A: Access to Technology in U.S. Schools
B: Summary Measures
C: Methodology

Technology’s Role inCreativity in Learning

1

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

5
1
Barriers to Expanding
Creativity
Learning
ExecutiveinSummary
With Technology

Amidst ongoing pressure to meet establishedstandards, U.S. schools have embraced
traditional forms of instruction that too often
lack the personalization students need to learn
and grow. In an increasingly complex world andworkforce, today’s students must master essential
problem-solving and critical thinking skills to be
successful in the future despite likely economic
disruption. Future jobs — many of which have noteven been imagined yet — will require individuals
who can develop new, creative ways to address
problems. This creation process will not be theresult of rote memorization or repetition, which istoday’s dominant teaching method, but instead isfostered through creativity in learning.

Based on this qualitative and quantitative research,
Gallup finds significant support for creativity inlearning and its promise in preparing students to be
productive and successful employees and global
citizens. Teachers, parents and students report
widespread approval of self-directed, project-basedlearning with the support of new and innovativetechnology that allows students to learn in new andinnovative ways.
The following pages detail key findings from thisimportant research about what teachers, parents
and students believe U.S. schools need forstudents to succeed.

In 2019, Gallup conducted a nationally
representative study to explore the extent to which
creativity in learning is being fostered in Americanclassrooms; the extent to which teachers, parents
and students value creativity in learning; howcreativity in learning is supported by transformativeuse of technology; and the outcomes they produce.
Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

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2

Key Findings
1Creativity in learning produces positive critical outcomes for students, which arefurther enhanced when teachers leverage the full potential of technology.
Teachers who often assign creative, project-based activities are more likely than other teachers to say
their students display a range of learning and development goals, including building self-confidence,
utilizing their unique strengths, and developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Morethan 75% of teachers who practice creativity in learning say their students often demonstrateproblem-solving skills, versus less than 60% of teachers who use these techniques less often.
Teachers rate project-based, technology-enabled assignments as better for a wide range of student
outcomes. For example, more than eight in 10 teachers say projects that incorporate technology intransformative ways are better than traditional assignments for personalizing students’ learning, giving
them ownership over their learning and helping them connect it to the real world.
Students are more likely to experience creativity in learning when teachers use technology in an
educational setting to redefine the way they learn — such as through self-directed, project-based
activities that integrate multimedia, augmented reality and other digital tools. Teachers who
incorporate laptops and tablets in transformative ways are 2.5 times more likely to assign projects
that foster creativity.

2

Teachers and parents agree that creativity in learning inspires better outcomesthan traditional learning methods.
Asked which learning outcomes are most important, teachers and parents choose cognitive skills
related to creativity. To prepare children for the future, teachers and parents value outcomes related
to creativity and other forms of cognitive development, such as critical thinking. For example, about
half of parents say it is “very important” that their child come up with their own ideas about how tosolve problems (51%) and that they try different ways of doing things, even if they might not work(49%). And 64% of teachers and parents say critical thinking is one of students’ most importantlearning outcomes.
Eighty-seven percent of teachers and 77% of parents agree that teaching approaches thatincorporate creativity in the learning process have a bigger payoff for students.

3

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Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

3

A majority of parents and teachers do not see the value of standardized testing asa measure of student learning.
Just 13% of parents say it is “very important” that their child learn how to perform well on
standardized tests. What’s more, just 12% of teachers feel standardized tests are a goodmeasure of student learning. Only 4% of parents and 1% of teachers include “scoring well on
standardized tests” among the most important learning outcomes.
Teachers say lesson plans that make transformative use of technology are better for students toconnect their learning to the real world (81%), teach critical thinking skills (76%) and retain what they
have learned longer (71%).

4

Students in most classrooms today spend little time on activities
that foster creativity.
Although memorization and repetition are important, this study demonstrates an undue
concentration on these processes. A majority of students would like to spend more time on activities
that help them see how their learning relates to real-life problems outside the classroom. However,
only 26% of students say they often work on projects with real-world applications. Fifty-two percent
of teachers say students often work on such projects, suggesting teachers’ perceptions don’t match
those of students.
Further, the research shows students’ activities often focus less on creativity in learning, despite its
widely recognized value and approval among teachers and parents.

5

A supportive and collaborative culture, training, and autonomy to try new things are
key factors that help teachers bring more creativity to learning.
Teachers are more likely to focus on creativity if they feel that school leaders and parents
support their efforts. Those who say school leaders give them autonomy to try new things and thetraining they need to succeed are much more likely to emphasize creativity in learning and to use
technology in ways that support that process than those who do not.
Collaboration among teachers fosters creative use of technology: 83% of teachers say they get
ideas for incorporating tablets or computers into their lesson plans from other teachers theyknow personally.

The stakes for students have never been higher, andthe direction never clearer — parents and teachers
are aligned in believing that when educators
embrace creativity in learning and use newtechnologies in transformative ways, students win.

Unfortunately, too many schools are using traditional
approaches or new technologies in traditional ways.
This research establishes the need to scale thenumber of students who learn in personalized ways
to become creative problem-solvers of tomorrow.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

45
2
Barriers to Expanding
Creativity
in Learning
About theStudy
With Technology

5

Creativity in Learning

Apple_CreativeLearn_102119_lg_DIGITAL

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Study
Qualifying and quantifying
creativity in learning

Creativity in learning defined

Gallup conducted qualitative and quantitative
research to assess the extent to which creativity
in learning is occurring in classrooms nationally,
perceptions of this approach, obstacles toimplementing it and the role of technology inthe process.

In September-November 2018, Gallup researchersvisited 12 schools across the U.S. identified
as leaders in continuous innovation andcreativity-focused learning. The schools were
diverse in terms of size, grade levels, geographic
location and students’ socioeconomic status. The
objective was to investigate best practices forfostering creativity in K-12 classrooms.
Results from the qualitative research were used to
inform the development of quantitative surveys
fielded in March and April of 2019 with nationally
representative samples of teachers, parents andstudents. Researchers’ goal was to quantify thestate of creativity in schools, the relationshipbetween creativity and technology and theirperceived impact on student outcomes. For
complete methodological details, see Appendix C.

For this research, participants were given thefollowing definition to establish a common
understanding of the study’s purpose: “Creativity is
the ability to imagine new ways of solving problems,
approaching challenges, making connections orcreating products. Creativity is not based on aformula, but on thinking that relates to discovery
and inquiry.”This definition is reflected in learning approaches
that allow students to express themselves in waysthat develop critical thinking and problem-solving
skills. Teachers who practice creativity in learninguse student-centered techniques including
project-based assignments that require students tothink of their own solutions to problems, as well as
self-directed assignments that give students input
on what they’d like to learn.

Technology can be used to foster creativity andtransform students’ learning experiences. This
report refers to “transformative use of technology”
as using technology in learning activities in waysthat open up new possibilities for teachers todeliver information, and allow students to express
their learning in ways that they couldn’t without
the technology. This is in contrast to substitutional
uses of technology, which replace traditional tools(paper and pencil) with tablets or computers to do
the same tasks, such as filling out a worksheet,taking a multiple-choice test or writing an essay.
Substitutional uses of technology do not leverage
the full potential of that technology to help students
learn in a way that suits them best to draw out theirunderstanding and creative potential.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

6

Cre∙a∙tiv∙i∙ty (n):The ability to imagine new ways of solving
problems, approaching challenges, making
connections or creating products. Creativity
is not based on a formula, but on thinking
that relates to discovery and inquiry.

7

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

5
3
Barriers to Expanding
Preparing Today’s
Creativity in Learning
Students for Tomorrow
With Technology

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow
When the federal No Child Left Behind Act
became law in 2001, U.S. schools mobilized aroundstandards and testing. The general intention was
good: Close the gap between high-performing
and low-performing schools by establishingstate-mandated performance targets to ensure
all students receive an education that meets
some minimal standard for quality. What thepolicymakers who championed standardization
failed to appreciate fully is that the emphasis on
test performance and objective assessment would
require educators to focus on rote memorization
and repetition.

However, the skills students need to succeed in the
21st century are moving in the opposite direction.
In modern, information-rich environments, people
need to evaluate and synthesize more data inputs
than ever and use them to draw reasonableconclusions. In its “The Future of Jobs Report
2018,” the World Economic Forum ranks creativity,
critical thinking and problem-solving among the 10
most demanded skills today and into the future.1
Developing these skills requires a learning processthat combines traditional and innovative learning
approaches that leverage our best tools, including
new technologies.

Teachers and parents believe educational strategies that promotecreativity and other higher-order cognitive skills are most important.
87%

77%
25%

1

9

87% of teachers and
77% of parents agree“Teaching approaches
that inspire creativity in thelearning process take morework but have a bigger
payoff for [students/my child].”

World Economic Forum Centre for the New Economy and Society. (2018). The Future of Jobs Report 2018. Retrieved
from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2018.pdf

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Teachers and parents believe critical thinking,problem-solving and curiosity to learn independently
are among the most important learning outcomes.
F I G U R E 1: Percentage of parents and teachers who rankeach outcome among the three most important
Parents

Teachers

64
64

Learning to think criticallyLearning problem-solving skills

n/a

51
36
40

Developing students' curiosity
to learn beyond the classroom

19

Learning to collaborate
with others
Learning self-discipline

29
14

Having learning experiencesthat are personally meaningful

20

Preparing for the workplace

17
14

Learning 21st-century
technology skills

9

Having learning experiencesthat connect students to theworld beyond the U.S.

42

Even highly practical goals like “preparing forcollege” and “preparing for the workplace”
are less likely to be considered important
than the development of cognitive skills thatwill help students achieve those goals andothers throughout their lifetimes.

14

9
7

Preparing for college

2

43

22

Building self-confidence

Participating in
extracurricular activities

33

When teachers and parents are presented
with a variety of learning outcomes andasked to choose the three they consider
most important, critical thinking andcuriosity to learn independently are among
the most commonly selected for bothgroups, while teachers also frequently nameproblem-solving skills (Figure 1). Despite
the demand for these skills, employers
often find them lacking in recent college
graduates. A 2018 survey of hiring managers
finds significant gaps in importance versus
preparedness ratings concerning recent
graduates’ critical thinking skills, ability toanalyze/solve complex problems and theirability to innovate/be creative.2

17

5
3

Getting good grades

1

Scoring well on
standardized tests

4
1

10
11

Only 4% of parents and 1%of teachers include “scoring
well on standardized tests”
among the most importantlearning outcomes.

Gallup. (2018). Forging Pathways to Purposeful Work: The Role of Higher Education. Retrieved
from https://www.gallup.com/education/248222/gallup-bates-purposeful-work-2019.aspx
Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

10

Parents favor learning
experiences that require
students to creatively apply
what they are learning.

Most parents (59%) believe it is “veryimportant” for students to work on projects
with real-world applications. About half also
believe it is “very important” that students are
creative in addressing problems — including
coming up with their own ideas about how tosolve them and trying different ways to do so.

F I G U R E 2 : [Asked of parents] On a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 means it’s very importantand 1 means it’s not at all important, how important to you is it that your child have eachof the following learning experiences at school?
Percentage who say “very important”
Work on a project that hasreal-world applications.

59

Come up with his/her own ideas
about how to solve a problem.

51

Try different ways of doing things,
even if they might not work.

49

Work on a project that uses what s/he
has learned in different subjects.

40

Decide for him/herself how to
express what s/he has learned.

34

Practice what s/he has learned
using exercises and repetition.

30

18

Memorize facts and definitions.

Learn how to perform well on
standardized tests.

11

Creativity in Learning

13

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Repetition and memorization
remain the norm fortoday’s students.
Despite the importance parents attach toassignments with real-world applications, just
26% of students say they often spend time on
them. Teachers are more likely to say students
often work on such projects (52%), suggesting a
disconnect between what teachers believe they areaccomplishing and students’ understanding of thetask at hand. There seems to be a strong need forteachers to convey the real-world relevance of theirlessons to students more clearly.

Fifty-two percent
of teachers saystudents often workon projects with realworld applications.
However, just 26%
of students agree.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

12

F I G U R E 3 : How often do each of these happen in school — very often, often, sometimes, rarely or never?
Percentage of students and teachers who say each activity happens “very often” or “often”
Students

Teachers

Students memorize facts and definitions.

58

36
49

Students practice what they've learned
using exercises and repetition.

44
45

Students come up with their own ideas
about how to solve a problem.
Students learn how to do wellon standardized tests.

36

Students try different ways of doing
things, even if they might not work.

36

Students work on projects or assignments thatuse what they’ve learned in different subjects.

35
26

Students work on projects or assignmentsthat can be used in the real world.
Students decide how to showwhat they've learned.

23

Students are more likely than teachers to say
they spend a lot of time memorizing facts ordefinitions — 58% versus 36%, respectively.
However, both students and teachers
commonly say students often practice what
they’ve learned using exercises and repetition.

Creativity in Learning

56
40
41
52

36

16
18

Students publish or share projects withpeople outside of the class or school.

13

43

31

Students discuss topics that haveno right or wrong answer.

Students choose what they learn in class.

57

11
10

Students and teachers are also similarly likely
to say students often come up with their own
ideas about how to solve problems (44% vs.
45%, respectively), try different ways of doing
things (36% vs. 40%) and work on projects
that integrate what they’ve learned in different
subjects (35% vs. 41%).

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Most students say they would like to spend moretime on activities that give them input on theireducational path, such as choosing what theylearn in class and learning more about topics thatmost interest them.

Students want tospend more time on
self-directed activities
and those thatconnect their learning
to the real world.

Two other activities a majority of students would
like to spend more time on to help them see
how what they are learning relates to real-life
problems outside the classroom are 1) working
on projects that can be used in the real world,and 2) publishing or sharing projects with people
outside their class or school.

F I G U R E 4 : [Asked of students] For each of the following school activities, please indicate if
you feel you spend too much time, the right amount of time, or too little time on that activity.
% Too much

Choosing what I learn in class.
Working on projects or assignmentsthat can be used in the real world.
Learning more about topics
I am most interested in.
Publishing or sharing projects withpeople outside of my class or school.
Demonstrating what I havelearned in creative ways.
Trying new ways of doing things.
Working on projects to express
what I have learned.

1

26

Working with otherstudents on projects.

73
38

61

3

37

59

5

43

52

6

50

44

5

51

43

10

61

29

24

50

25

17

59

24

18

59

23

35

Memorizing facts or definitions.
Working on online or
paper worksheets.

% Too little

1

Preparing for tests and quizzes.
Practicing what I have learned
using exercises and repetition.

% Just the right amount

22

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

50
65

15
12

Creativity in Learning

14

With countless online communities,
content-sharing sites and apps that help themput their work into a publishable format, students
now have opportunities to share their learning andcreativity with the world outside the classroom. As
one teacher said, “That need for people to see theirwork is something that’s really strong in [students].
It’s shifted their thinking to ‘I want my work to havea purpose and be used,’ as opposed to ‘I want tomake a 93 instead of a 91.’”

15

Creativity in Learning“

That need for people to see
their work is somethingthat’s really strong in[students]. It’s shifted theirthinking to ‘I want mywork to have a purposeand be used,’ as opposedto ‘I want to make a
93 instead of a 91.’

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

— Teacher“Gallup’s in-depth interviews with students andteachers demonstrate how such activities help
keep students actively engaged in learning.
One seventh grade student described how the
self-directed video assignments in her scienceclassroom encourage further investigation of
topics students are most interested in. “[Ourteacher] lets us choose what topic to make thevideo on and research the topic as much as wewant to for the video — so you get to learn a lot
about a topic.” After completing the assignment,
students watch all the videos to learn from eachother’s work.

4
Technology’s Role inCreativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

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Technology’s Role in Creativity in Learning
The accelerating pace of technologicalchange places an additional onus on schools
to help students develop skills they need tosucceed. That means not just familiarizingthem with digital technology but providing
self-directed experiences that build students’creative capacity to apply it in novel situations.
Gallup finds that educational technology helps
teachers address both goals if it is widely
accessible to students. In visits to schools
across the country that use “one-to-one”
technology models, researchers saw students
using their tablets and laptops for a wide varietyof engaging experiences, from designingrocket cones to interactively exploring a virtual
Buddhist temple.

Technology is widespreadbut mostly used to conduct
traditional tasks that could beaccomplished with other tools.
U.S. schools have made significant strides inmaking technology accessible to children (seeAppendix A). Over the last 20 years, many school
districts have adopted “one-to-one” student
computing models whereby each student
has access to a laptop or tablet computer
to use during the school year. About eight in
10 students currently say they use tablets orcomputers to learn at school either every day(51%) or a few days a week (30%).

8 in 10 students currently say they
use tablets or computers to learn at
school every day or a few days a week.

17

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Though technology access is widespread, its
utility is limited when educators do not use it to
its full potential. Teachers and students are most
likely to say they often use tablets or computers
for activities that are less likely to include creative
aspects, such as writing papers, keeping trackof assignments and taking conventional tests
or quizzes.

Such tasks fail to harness technology’s potential
to more fully engage students and promotedeeper thinking by changing the nature of theirlearning activities. The use of laptops and tablets
in ways that modify or redefine learning processes— such as working on multimedia projects orexperiencing things outside the classroom they
could not otherwise experience — are significantly
less common.

Technology in schools is not being utilized to its full potential.
41%

68%
25%

41% of teachers and 68%
of students say students
often use technology
to write papers.

13%

25%
25%

Just 13% of teachers and
25% of students reportusing technology to see orexperience something they
otherwise could not have.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning18

F I G U R E 5 : How often do your teachers ask you to do each of the following using a tablet orcomputer for school?
Percentage of students and teachers who say each activity happens “very often” or “often”
Students

Teachers

Write papers
Conduct research

43

27

Learn on my own

41

35

Practice what I’ve learned
using repetition and exercises

32

22

Create work such as multimedia projects, art, videos ordesign project plans using a tablet/computer

31
31

21
13

39
36

10

Read textbooks

Creativity in Learning

48

36

Analyze information

19

53

32

Take tests or quizzes

Teachers who practicecreativity in learning and use
technology in transformative
ways are most likely to see
positive student outcomes.

54

41

Create presentations

See or experience something outside of my classroomthat I couldn't otherwise see or experience64

46

Keep track of my assignments

Create projects that use what I’ve
learned in other subjects or classes

68

41

25

More than three-fourths of teachers (77%) agree
that students learn the most when they cancreatively express what they know. Gallup created
two summary measures — one that gauges
teachers’ emphasis on creativity in learning,and one that measures the extent to which they
use technology in transformative ways — toquantify how teaching approaches impact what
students learn. (Appendix B lists the survey
items combined to produce each measure.)

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

85%

77%

OF TE ACHE RS

OF TE ACHE RS

More than three-fourthsof teachers agree thatstudents learn the mostwhen they can creatively
express what they know.

85% of teachers who score
highly on both creativity inlearning and transformativetechnology use say theirstudents often demonstrateproblem-solving skills.

77%

OF TE ACHE RS

Teachers whose students experience creativity inlearning are more likely to report positive outcomesfor five of six cognitive skills. Eighty-five percent ofteachers who score highly on creativity in learningand make transformative use of technology say
their students often demonstrate problem-solving
skills, versus 50% of all teachers who do notscore highly on creativity in learning. Less thanhalf of teachers overall say their students often
demonstrate critical thinking, the outcome
considered most important by both teachers andparents. However, that figure rises to 65% among
teachers who score highly on creativity in learning
but use technology in substitutive ways, and 74%
among those who focus on creativity in learningand transformative technology use.

20

The results are similar for student outcomes
related to confidence-building. For example, while
38% of teachers in the low-creativity group say
students often use their unique strengths, thisfigure rises to 65% among those who focus on
creativity in learning but make substitutive useof technology, and 82% among those who focus
on creativity in learning and use technology intransformative ways. The large gap speaks to thegreater emphasis in creativity-focused learningon self-directed activities that allow students to
explore their interests and approach projects inways that are most natural for them.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

20

F I G U R E 6 : Percentage of teachers who say their students demonstrate each cognitive skill“very often” or “often”

Results segmented by teachers’ level of focus on creativity in learning and their use of technology insubstitutional vs. transformative ways
Lower focus on creativity, regardless of technology use
Higher focus on creativity, substitutional technology use
Higher focus on creativity, transformative technology use

Engaging in problem solving.

Demonstrating critical thinking.

Retaining what they have learned.

Making connections between
different subjects.

Having deep learning of subject matter.

Performing well on standardized tests.

50

75

0%

85
100%

38

65

74

0%

100%

49

64

74

0%

100%

35

70 71

0%

100%

27

49

59

0%

100%

32

41 46

0%

100%

In Figure 6 and Figure 7, differences of 8 percentage points or less are not statistically significant at the p<.05 level.

How to read: The first graph indicates that 50% of all teachers who place less focus on creativity inlearning say their students often engage in problem-solving. This figure rises to 75% among teachers
who more often assign creative activities but use technology mostly in substitutive ways, and 85% among
those who assign creative activities and use technology in more transformative ways.

21

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

F I G U R E 7: Percentage of teachers who say their students demonstrate each sign of confidence-building“very often” or “often”
Results segmented by teachers’ level of focus on creativity in learning and their use of technology insubstitutional vs. transformative ways
Lower focus on creativity, regardless of technology use
Higher focus on creativity, substitutional technology use
Higher focus on creativity, transformative technology use

Utilizing their unique strengths.

Expressing what they havelearned in creative ways.

Being self-confident students.

Taking responsibility for
their own learning.

Expressing their excitement
about learning.

Willingness to take risks.

Feeling confident about their ability tomaster difficult subject matter.

A strong sense of curiosity to learn more
about subject beyond lesson plan.

65

39

82

0%

100%

27

58

73

0%

100%

45

72 74

0%

100%

33

52

68

0%

100%

42

65 69

0%

100%

29

52

63

0%

100%

35

62 68

0%

100%

34

61 66

0%

100%

In Figure 6 and Figure 7, differences of 8 percentage points or less are not statistically significant at the p<.05 level.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

22

Teachers who maintain high-creativity
environments are more likely to say their students
often show signs of cognitive development andconfidence-building. In most cases, those outcomesare even more likely when teachers use technology
in transformative ways that support creativity.

23

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

In general, the results show that educational
technology is not in itself the main driver of
improved student outcomes — its impact comesprimarily in helping teachers reorient around more
active forms of learning that build students’ creative
capacity. Teachers whose students use laptops andtablets in transformative ways are 2.5 times more
likely to practice creativity in learning. That makes
separating the effects of creativity and technology
use difficult because creativity supported bytransformative technology use is most likely to help
students achieve positive learning outcomes.

Teachers believe assignmentsthat require transformativeuse of technology are
more effective.
Gallup finds teachers prefer lesson plans that
foster creativity through the transformative use oftechnology over those that use more traditional
methods. Gallup presented teachers with two
lesson plans — both addressed the same subject
matter, but one included a traditional assignment,such as a report or presentation, while the otherincluded an assignment made possible only byusing students’ laptops or tablets, such as a video
blog or interactive book.

Creativity supported
by transformativetechnology use is most
likely to help students
achieve positive
learning outcomes.

Teachers were more likely by far to say thetechnology-centered assignment would be betterfor almost all outcomes (Figure 8) — more thaneight in 10 said it would be better for personalizing
students’ learning, giving them ownership over itand helping them connect it to the real world. The
only item for which teachers strongly favored the
traditional lesson plan was preparing students
for a standardized test. However, many teachers
also felt that the assignment that incorporates
transformative technology use would taketoo much time to complete or be too difficult
for students.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning24

F I G U R E 8 : [Asked of teachers] Please think about the two lesson plans as you answer the following
questions. Which plan would?
% Traditional lesson plan

% Lesson plan with transformative technology use

Be the most exciting to students.

595

Be better at giving students
ownership over their own learning.

17

Be better at personalizing learning toindividual students.

17

Be better at connecting students'
learning to the real world.

19

Best teach students
problem-solving skills.

19

Be the best way for students toexpress what they have learned.

21

83
83
81
81
79

Take students too much time to complete.

23

Best teach students critical thinking skills.

24

Be too difficult for students to complete.

26

77
76

Be better at challenging every
student appropriately.

27

Best help students to make connections
between different subjects.

27

Be better at helping students feel lessworried about failing and more focusedon how they can succeed.

29

Be the better approach/learning experience.

29

Help students learn in ashorter amount of time.

Creativity in Learning

73
72
71
71
42

Best help students master the material.

25

73

28

Help students to retain what
they have learned longer.

Best prepare students
for a standardized test.

74

45
13

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

58
55
87

• giving them opportunities to try or experience
new things (69% tablets and laptops vs. 4% fortraditional tools)• making it easy to have their work seen andheard by others (63% tablets and laptops vs.
10% for traditional tools)

From our experience,[technology] gives students
a voice. [At our school],
they have the power toinfluence at any level.
— Technology Integration
Specialist• helping them learn more in a short amountof time (58% tablets and laptops vs. 15% fortraditional tools)• making them feel like they’re in charge of how
they learn (52% tablets and laptops vs. 14% fortraditional tools)
One school technology specialist summed up
in an in-depth interview how technology is used
to fully engage students: “From our experience,[technology] gives students a voice. [At our school],
they have the power to influence at any level.”
Teachers favor assignments that embracecreativity in learning and using technology
in transformative ways. Teachers say theseassignments are more likely to give students
ownership of their learning and make learning
more personalized.

“

By allowing [students] tobe creative, you see a newlevel of learning take place.
They are more invested inwhatever they are learning.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

— Technology
Integration Specialist

“

“

“

Students also recognize the advantages ofusing technology in ways that give them a senseof ownership and engagement in the learning
process. Students are far more likely to say tabletsand laptops are better than to say traditional tools
are better for most objectives, including:Creativity in Learning

26

AT L E AST

3/4

OF TE AC H E R S

27Creativity in Learning

At least three-fourths of teachers say
the technology-based lessons are
more likely to help students develop
critical thinking and problem-solving
skills, and to help them connect
their learning to the real world.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

5
Barriers to Expanding

Factors
to Infusing
Creativity in Learning
Creativity in Learning
With Technology

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

Apple_CreativeLearn_102119_lg_DIGITAL

28

Factors to Infusing Creativity in Learning
To support U.S. schools’ efforts to better meet
students’ needs, education stakeholders need tobetter understand the conditions in which students
are most likely to experience creativity in learning,as well as the most significant barriers teachers
face in helping them do so.

Teachers’ use of education
technology is strongly related
to support from schoolleaders and parents.

In trying new things, both teachers and students
rely on a culture of trust, safety and strong
relationships, with the understanding that failure
is part of the arc of learning. Gallup created asummary measure based on 11 questions gauging
teachers’ perceptions of support for innovation andtechnology use from school leaders and parents(listed in Appendix B). Teachers who score in the
top-third on this “supportive school environment”
measure are more likely than those who do not to
say their students often have learning experiencesthat help develop creativity.

Teachers are more likely topractice creativity in learning anduse technology in transformative
ways if they say their school has a
specialist to help them integratetechnology into the curriculum.
29

Creativity in Learning

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

F I G U R E 9 : [Asked of teachers] How often do your students have the following learning
experiences in your classroom?
Percentage who say “very often” or “often”
Bottom 2/3 on supportive school environment

Top 1/3 on supportive school environment

47

Work on a project or assignmentthat has real-world applications.

53

Discuss topics that have no right or wrong answer.

38

Come up with their own ideas
about how to solve a problem.

53

Practice what they have learned using
exercises and repetition.

52
34

Work on a project or assignment that uses what they’ve
learned in several different classes or subjects.

32

Create a project to express what they have learned.
Memorize facts and definitions.

33

Learn how to perform well on standardized tests.

25
14

Publish or share projects with people outsideof the class or school.

Collaboration is thefoundation for creativity inteaching and learning.

8

60

57

32

Try different ways of doing things,
even if they might not work.

Choose what they learn in class.

61

61

51
43

38

35

24

13

School culture can foster creativity by being
highly collaborative and providing a supportive
environment for knowledge- and idea-sharing
among teachers and students. Unfortunately,
just 18% of teachers strongly agree that they
leverage the creativity of their peers, while 38%
agree somewhat.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning30

Effective classroom technology
use facilitates collaboration
among students. Both teachersand students highlight students’ability to work together as criticalfor creativity in learning.

Among its other benefits, collaboration among
teachers fosters classroom technology use;when asked where they have gotten ideas forincorporating tablets or computers into their lessonplans, 83% of teachers cite recommendations fromother teachers they know personally. That easily
tops the percentages who name internet searches(71%), workshops/conferences (57%) or any
other source.
Collaboration among students is also crucial in
helping them develop creative capacity. In sharing
their ideas with their classmates and receiving
feedback, students practice divergent thinking, i.e.,
considering different ways to approach problems.
Students also mention software like Apple’s
Keynote and Google Docs as tools they routinely
use to share work and collaborate on projects.

31

Creativity in Learning

Teachers who say schoolleaders give them autonomy are
more likely to practice creativity
in learning and integratetechnology at high levels.
Teachers and administrators frequently note thatwhen teachers feel free to be creative, students see
the creative process modeled and are more likely
to embrace challenges that require creativity of
their own.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Despite the national emphasis on standardized
curricula that began in the early 2000s, mostteachers do not feel curricular choices are outof their hands; overall, just 28% agree that theircurriculum for the semester is set and they canmake few changes, while 50% disagree. Moreover,
two-thirds of teachers say “give teachers autonomy
to try new things with their lesson plans” describes
leaders at their school at least somewhat. That’s
good news, as teachers who agree that schoolleaders give them autonomy are more than twice
as likely to focus on creativity in learning as those
who disagree.

Creativity in learning andtransformative technology
use can be found within bothpublic and private institutions
as well as among teachersof all lengths of tenure.

Teachers in the study also often view student
autonomy as important for building creative
capacity. Making education more student-centricmeans giving students greater freedom to learn
about topics that interest them and to choose how
to express what they’ve learned. But these can bechallenging goals for teachers under traditional
education models: About four in 10 teachers andstudents say students often take responsibility for
their own learning, and only about one in 10 say
students often choose what they learn in class.
Gallup finds that teachers’ likelihood to embracecreativity in learning or to use technology
in ways that support creativity doesn’t varymuch by their specific circumstances such as
the grade level, subjects they teach or theirtenure in the classroom. Similarly, there is little
difference in these measures based upon school
characteristics, such as urban versus ruralcommunity, public versus private school, or school
size. The only exception is that teachers who serve
low-income students are less likely to score highlyon the creativity in learning measure, though not on
the technology use measure.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

32

5
6
Barriers to Expanding
Barriers to Expanding
Creativity
Creativity inin Learning
Learning
With
With Technology
Technology

33

Creativity in Learning

Apple_CreativeLearn_102119_lg_DIGITAL

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Barriers to Expanding Creativity in Learning
With Technology
When teachers are asked directly about potential
barriers to making greater use of tablets andcomputers for creativity in learning, their mostcommon response is that many of their students
do not have a tablet or computer outside of school(Figure 10). Overall, 44% of teachers express atleast some agreement with this statement, followed
by 37% who agree that they do not have enoughtablets or computers in their classroom. No morethan one-fourth of teachers agree with any of theother “barrier” statements listed.

Access is the mostcommonly named barrier toeducation technology use.

F I G U R E 10 : [Asked of teachers] Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.
% 5 Strongly agree

%4

%3

%2

29

15

13

12

Many students do not have a tablet/computer outside school, so I can’t
give homework that uses them.

27

There are not enough tablets/
computers in my classroom.
Students are exposed to so muchtechnology outside of school that its
use should be limited in school.
I do not have the time to integrate tablets/
computers into my lesson plans.
The tablets/computers in myclassroom do not work properly.
I do not have the training required
to integrate tablets/computers
into my lesson plans.
I wish I could creatively integrate tablets
or computers into my lesson plans, but I
do not know where to begin.
Tablets/computers in the classroom
are a distraction that takeaway from real learning.

13

10
12

9

11

29

% 1 Strongly disagree

27
43

20

25

9

10

6

13

15

6

12

21

25

34

6

12

23

23

35

6

9

27

35

22

23

26

28

32
35

0.0 12.5 25.0 37.5 50.0 62.5 75.0 87.5 100.0
Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

34

Teachers’ likelihood to agree with these items onaccess to technology varies widely by students’household income. Among teachers whose
schools serve mainly low-income students, 66%
say many of their students lack access to tablets
or computers outside of school, versus 23% of
those in schools with middle-income students
and just 11% of those in schools with high-income
students. Teachers with mainly low-income
students are also twice as likely as those withhigh-income students to say they do not haveenough tablets/computers in their classroom— 42% versus 20%.

I see a noticeable impact
on student engagement,[but] I don’t know if ourassessments have caught up
to measuring creativity.

““— Teacher

Traditional assessments
prevent creativity and keep
technology at the “substitution”
stage in many classrooms.
Gallup finds the standardized nature of traditional
assessments presents a significant barrier tocreativity and is one reason technology use is stuckat the “substitution” stage in many classrooms.
As one teacher in the study explained, “I see a
noticeable impact on student engagement, [but] I
don’t know if our assessments have caught up tomeasuring creativity.”
Portfolio- and project-based assessments are
becoming more common ways for teachers toprovide a cumulative portrayal of students’ learningand development that includes less quantifiable
aspects such as creativity. Parents also favor morewell-rounded ways to gauge students’ progress;
63% prefer that teachers use portfolio-based
assessments over test scores to measure student
comprehension, while 11% prefer traditional tests.

68% of teachers say project-based assignments are agood measure of student learning — far more than the
12% who say the same about standardized tests.

68%

12%

PROJECT�BASE D
AS SIGNME NT S

35

Creativity in Learning

STANDARDIZE DTEST S

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

However, portfolio-based assessments canbe more time-consuming than tests andrequire more subjective judgment on the partof teachers. Such challenges may help explain
why school administrators have been slow
to embrace them; just 20% of teachers saytheir school leaders place more emphasis on
portfolio-based assessments than test scores.

— Teacher“

About a third of teachers agree either that they do
not have enough time or enough training (or both)to integrate tablets or computers into their lessonplans. Even at the more technology-rich schools
researchers visited, some teachers felt that they
did not have enough training on how to make thebest use of classroom technology. Others notedthat designing creativity-focused lesson plans
requires more planning time than reusing existing
traditional plans.

3

I need to feel more confident
in certain aspects ofcreativity. In the past
year, we had innovation
days for teachers [led byinnovation specialists].
It wasn’t a training, but
we had opportunities toengage with tools andlearn how to use them.
— Teacher“

I know specifically what
will be looked at in the
AP test. I do it the way
the College Board says
even though I know
other ways to teach it. If
the teacher can’t express
themselves, how canyou make students?

““

30% of teachers
agree that lack oftime and training are
significant barriers tocreativity in learningand technology use.

Both concerns support an assertion made in the
U.S. Department of Education’s “National Education
Technology Plan” that for teachers to fundamentallychange how they do their jobs to make effective
use of new tools and pedagogical approaches,
they need “continuous, just-in-time support that
includes professional development, mentors andinformal collaborations.”3

Department of Education Office of Educational Technology. 2017 National Education Technology Plan, p. 28.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning36

Implications
This study paints a vivid picture of the advantagesof creativity in learning observed by teachers,
parents and students. All three groups agree
that, to the extent that U.S. schools are moving
away from extreme standardization and toward
more personalized, student-centered teachingapproaches, they are heading in the right direction.
The research also points to lingering obstacles
about such changes. Though teachers and parents
are aligned on the benefits of creativity in learning,some worry that project-based learning may beharder for students and more time-consuming forteachers. Ongoing reliance on tests and quizzes
may also slow the transition to more personalized,
project-based learning — particularly if parents andschool leaders have doubts about alternatives to
traditional assessments.
However, such concerns may fade as more
schools see the improved outcomes associatedwith technology-supported instruction that
fosters creativity. Technological advances are
already leading to new forms of embedded andreal-time assessments which, like portfolio-based
assessments, provide more well-rounded andfrequent input than traditional tests. Parents andeducators alike favor alternatives to high-stakes
testing, pointing to the potential for grassrootspressure on policymakers to remove a systemic
barrier to more personalized, student-centeredteaching approaches.

37

Creativity in LearningThis study demonstrates
the need for education
leaders to communicate
a compelling vision of
how their schools must
adapt to better prepare
students to meet thechallenges of the future.

Most importantly, this study demonstrates the needfor education leaders to communicate a compelling
vision of how their schools must adapt to better
prepare students to meet the challenges of the
future — and of technology’s role in accomplishingthat goal. Critically, that vision should start with acommon awareness of how traditional teachingpractices must change to better support thedevelopment of creativity and other vital cognitive
skills. That understanding will assure teachers thatthey have support from leaders to try new thingsand give them a set of overarching objectives
that guide their use of technology to transformstudents’ learning experiences.
Implementing such a vision will not always be easyin the face of influences that tend to preserve thestatus quo. But as this study makes clear, changes
that improve critical student outcomes are alreadyhappening in many of the nation’s schools,
leading the way to a future in which all schools
are better able to help students achieve theircreative potential.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

5
7
Barriers to Expanding
Creativity
in Learning
Appendix
With Technology

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

Apple_CreativeLearn_102119_lg_DIGITAL

38

Appendix A: Access to Technology in
U.S. Schools
Gallup’s qualitative research found teachers andstudents incorporating technology into lessons
in many ways, from designing rocket cones tointeractively exploring a virtual Buddhist temple.
However, these schools were selected as examplesof those that excel in creativity-focused instruction
supported by technology use. Gauging how
common these activities are among all U.S. schools
was a primary goal of this study and was achievedin the quantitative surveys of teachers, parents
and students.
Eight in 10 students currently say they use tablets
or computers to learn at school every day (51%)
or a few days a week (30%). Many districts provide
schools with access to technology specialists that
help teachers integrate this technology into thecurriculum. Almost half of teachers (47%) say theirschool has such a specialist, with results generally
consistent across grade levels.
The teacher survey also included questions about
how students access technology and the type ofdevice primarily used.

Most say students primarily use laptops (59%) ortablets (22%); just 9% say students use desktop
computers and 8% say their students do not haveaccess to any type of computer for learning.
About half of teachers (49%) say students havetablets or computers that are theirs to use fulltime during the school year — either provided by
the school (34%) or brought from home to use forschool (15%). Among high school-level teachers,
these figures rise considerably, so that about
eight in 10 say students have personal devices forfull-time use. Teachers at the primary school level(K-5th grade) are more likely to say students use
devices that remain in the classroom.
Notably, schools in more affluent areas often havean easier time achieving “one-to-one” status,
simply because students are more likely to bring
their own devices from home. Among teachers
who say their schools serve mostly high-income
students, one-third (33%) say students bringdevices from home for school use, versus
11% among teachers whose schools serve
low-income students.

[Asked of teachers]:Which of the statements below describes how students access devices, such as
computers, laptops or tablets, at your school?
Please select all that apply.

Students go to library or other room to
use a tablet/computer.

Students share tablets/computers thatremain in each classroom.

Students share tablets/computers carted
between classrooms.

Students are given tablets/computers thatare theirs to use during the school year.
Students bring their own personal tablets/
computers from home to use for school.

39

Creativity in Learning

All teachers

K-5th grade

6th-8th grade

10th-12th grade

34%

37%

26%

35%

43%

51%

38%

33%

32%

30%

28%

33%

34%

28%

41%

43%

15%

3%

14%

36%

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Appendix B: Summary Measures
This study uses three summary indicators forteachers’ focus on creativity in learning andtransformative technology use, and the extent
to which they perceive a supportive school
environment. The survey items included in each ofthese composite measures are listed here. Gallup
tested the items in each composite measure toensure high levels of statistical reliability.

Creativity in learning

How often do your students have the following
learning experiences in your classroom?
A. They choose what they learn in class.

Supportive school culture
Please rate how well these statements describe[leaders/parents] at your school.

A. Leaders at my school are resistant to change.

B. Leaders at my school are primarily focused on

test scores.

C. Leaders at my school place more emphasis

on using portfolio-based assessments
instead of test scores as a way of measuring
student comprehension.

D. Leaders at my school give teachers autonomy

to try new things with their lesson plans.

B. They try different ways of doing things, even if

E. Leaders at my school have embraced students

C. Come up with their own ideas about how to

F. Leaders at my school provide me with the

D. Discuss topics that have no right or

G. Parents at my school are resistant to change.

they might not work.
solve a problem.
wrong answer.

E. They create a project to express what they

have learned.

F. Work on a project or assignment that uses

what they’ve learned in several different
classes or subjects.

using technology in the classroom.
training I need to succeed.

H. Parents at my school prefer using

portfolio-based assessments insteadof test scores as a way of measuring
student comprehension.

I. Parents at my school are supportive of new

ways of teaching.

G. Work on a project or assignment that has

J. Parents at my school have embraced students

H. Publish or share projects with people outside of

K. Parents at my school are highly engaged withreal-world applications.
the class or school.

Transformative technology use
How often do you ask students to do each of thefollowing using a tablet or computer for school?
A. Analyze information using a tablet/computer

using technology in the classroom.

what’s happening in the classroom.

Teachers whose composite scores fall in the
top-third of all teachers for each measure are said
to be in the “high” group for creativity in learning,transformative technology use or supportive
school culture.

B. Conduct research using a tablet/computer

C. Create presentations using a tablet/computer
D. Create work such as multimedia projects,

art, videos or design project plans using
a tablet/computer

E. Create complex projects that cross disciplines

using a tablet/computer

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning

40

Appendix C: Methodology
Qualitative research phase
In the fall of 2018, Gallup conducted 12
school visits across the country to identify
the characteristics of creativity in learning andinvestigate how technology can impact thislearning, as well as what barriers are present for its
implementation in classrooms. During each visit,
researchers observed instruction across a variety
of subjects and asked students informal questions
about their participation in specific activities. To
complement these observations, Gallup alsointerviewed teachers, parents and administrators
about their views of creativity in learning and how
technology is utilized in the classroom.
Gallup selected schools that were diverse interms of size, control, geographic location,socioeconomic status and grade-level
representation. Eleven of the schools employed“one-to-one” technology models with Appledevices (MacBook or iPad), and one school
employed a “one-to-one” technology model using
Google Chromebook devices.

41

Creativity in Learning

Quantitative research phase

In March and April 2019, Gallup conductedweb-based surveys of teachers, parents andstudents to quantify creativity in schools, therelationship between creativity and technology,
and their impact on student outcomes. The threesurveys were conducted via the Gallup Panel™.
The Gallup Panel is a probability-based panel ofapproximately 100,000 U.S. adults, of whom the
majority are web-based panelists. All panelists
are selected via random-digit-dial (RDD) or
address-based sampling (ABS) to ensure the panel
is representative of the entire U.S. adult population.
For the parent and student surveys, Gallup
randomly selected parents who Gallup anticipated
had a child in grades K-12. Gallup interviewed atotal of 2,673 parents of children with at least one
child in grades K-12, and 853 students in grades
6-12. Gallup obtained written, explicit permission
from parents and legal guardians prior tointerviewing children. In households with more than
one qualifying child, the programming randomly
selected which child the parent should think ofwhen completing the survey.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

For the teacher surveys, Gallup interviewed
1,036 full-time, randomly selected teachers whocurrently teach grades K-12. In a few cases (suchas Figures 3 and 5), results from the 6th-12th gradestudent sample and K-12th grade teacher sample
are compared directly. To ensure comparability,
researchers verified that findings from 6th-12th
grade teachers are not substantively different fromthose for the full teacher sample.
Results from each of the three surveys were
weighted to account for the probability of selection.
Gallup also weighted the data to account for
nonresponse. Gallup weighted the student
sample according to targets from the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) based on
student grade level, race/ethnicity and school type
(public vs. private). Gallup weighted the parent
sample using targets provided by the Census
Current Population Survey based on age, gender,
education level, phone status, census region
and race/ethnicity. Gallup weighted the teacher
sample according to targets provided by the U.S.
Department of Education based on gender, age,race/ethnicity, years of experience, school level andschool type (public vs. private).

All reported margins of sampling error for this study
include the computed design effects for weighting.
• For results based on the total sample ofstudents, the margin of sampling error is±6.1 percentage points at the 95 percent
confidence level.
• For results based on the total sample ofparents, the margin of sampling error is±2.5 percentage points at the 95 percent
confidence level.
• For results based on the total sample ofteachers, the margin of sampling error is±5.0 percentage points at the 95 percent
confidence level.
In addition to sampling error, question-wording
and practical difficulties in conducting surveys canintroduce error or bias into the findings of public
opinion polls.
This report was developed by Gallup, based onfunding provided by Apple Inc. The findings andconclusions are those of Gallup.

Copyright © 2019 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creativity in Learning42