Can Creativity Be Taught and/or Learned? A Sketch from Higher Education Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Creativity embodies the ability to discover new and innovative ideas, links, and problems’ solutions. Creativity is a competitive advantage that enables both individuals and organizations to succeed in increasingly demanding markets. Therefore, the development of this competence has become central to the debate on curricula within education systems and the labor market. So, the present study seeks to address how creativity has been defined in the scope of learning outcomes of the new study programs under quality evaluation and subsequent accreditation in the Portuguese higher education system. Adopting a qualitative approach, a content analysis of these learning outcomes was carried out using a theoretical and empirically validated conceptual matrix. Results point out for universities and the public sector of Portuguese higher education system tend to value more creativity as a desirable learning outcome, as well as some scientific fields, such as Engineering, Information and Media, Humanities, Life Sciences, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Arts and Architecture. Conversely, Law, Education, Social Sciences and Business Sciences are explicit examples of the undervaluation of competences related to creativity as part of the professional profile of their graduates. Findings help to understand the real importance that Portuguese higher education institutions attribute to creativity in their academic curricula.