Are they ready? Creative self-efficacy in science and performance of pre-service teachers

Creative thinking is an essential competence that should be fostered at all educational levels, yet for teachers to effectively develop this skill in students, they must possess the necessary abilities, confidence, and pedagogical knowledge. This study examines the creative self-efficacy (CSE) in science of pre-service teachers, their ability to recognize creative activities in the science classroom, and their scientific inquiry skills. The results indicate that the 213 Spanish primary pre-service teachers in the sample perceive themselves as creative in science. However, many participants mistakenly classify non-creative activities as creative and demonstrate low inquiry skills. As a result, no significant correlation was found between their self-perception and actual performance in creative tasks. The study also highlights that prior science training influences both their perception of CSE in science and their ability to distinguish between creative and non-creative activities in the classroom. These findings underscore the importance of integrating creativity into teacher training programs to enable future educators to effectively implement creative practices in the primary education classroom, aligning with societal demands for creativity in education.