Opportunities for Deeper Learning and Adolescents' Creative Thinking Competency in STEM: The Mediating Role of Situated Expectancy-Value Beliefs

This study builds on the literature on deeper learning to investigate whether and to what extent two types of deeper learning opportunities-opportunities for complex problem solving and opportunities for learning how to learn-are linked to students' creative thinking competency in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study also draws on situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT) to empirically identify which STEM motivational factors-including expectancy belief, intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and perceived cost-explain the underlying mechanisms by which deeper learning opportunities may increase students' creative thinking competency. Results from structural equation models with 737 middle/high school students who are high-achieving and come from underrepresented minoritized groups (i.e., girls, Latine/Black/Native Americans, and low-income youth) showed that greater opportunities for complex problem solving and for learning how to learn in STEM education settings were positively associated with student creative thinking competency in STEM. A series of mediation analyses demonstrated that both STEM expectancy belief and intrinsic value partially mediate the relationship between both opportunities for complex problem solving and opportunities for learning how to learn with students' creative thinking competencies in STEM. Our study findings offer novel and informative insight for increasing the creative competencies in STEM of adolescents.