Author Identifier (ORCID)
Emmanuel Mensah Kparl: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8260-4822
Abstract
Despite the consensus in the literature that design thinking practices spark innovation, research has yet to examine the creative confidence outcomes of design thinking practices. Integrating the Resource-Based Theory and the Componential Theory of Creativity, we hypothesised a parallel mediation model in which design thinking practices are associated with creative confidence via collaboration and diversity, and creativity. Based on a sample of 419 tertiary students in a Ghanaian University, it was found that design thinking facilitates students’ creative confidence. Also, collaboration and diversity partially mediate the relationship between design thinking and creative confidence. The study also found support for the mediating effect of creativity. The findings underscore the importance of integrating design thinking principles into educational curricula to cultivate a culture of innovation and prepare students for the challenges of the 21st-century workforce.
Keywords
Collaboration and diversity, creative confidence, creativity, design thinking, students
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Active Learning in Higher Education
Publisher
Sage
School
School of Business and Law
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Iddris, F., Agyapong, K., Kparl, E. M., & Mensah, P. O. (2026). Unlocking students’ creative confidence through design thinking practices: A parallel mediation of collaboration and diversity, and creativity. Active Learning in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874261437051