The Effect Of Cognitive Style On Physics Creativity: The Moderating Effect Of Class Climate

The importance of domain specificity in creativity inspired us to research creativity in specific field. Physics is not only the leadership in natural science groups, but also the foundation for scientific and culture literacy. The development of domain creativity might be affected by multi-level factors such as domain knowledge, cognition, personality and social environment. On the one hand, though the level of domain knowledge defined the level of creativity, it is necessary but not sufficient, creative person had to have generative cognitive style. On the other hand, class is the main environment for high school students to learn and live, the class climate they feel may affect their inner psychological features, which will influence the development of creativity. Therefore, the present study will examine the influence of class climate on students'cognitive style and physics creativity.792 high school students were selected firstly to revise Physics Creativity Scale, What Is Happening In this Class (WIHIC) and Rational and Experience Inventory (REI). Then randomly chose 1096 students who finished the three revised questionnaires. MANOVA, regression analysis and HLM were used for data statistics. The main conclusions are as follows:1. In terms of creativity, the main effect of sex was significant among the three dimensions: female scored higher than male. The main effect of grade was significant:3rd students scored higher than 2nd and first grade students On physics creativity and fluency, while 3rd students scored higher than 2nd students on flexibility, and 2nd students obviously scored lowest on originality.2. There were significant differences in gender and grade for rational style, which showed that male students scored higher in rational style than female students, and 2nd students scored higher than first grade students in rational style.3. In terms of class climate, significant differences were found in its seven dimensions. Boys scored higher than girls on student involvement, while the situation was opposite on task and cooperation dimensions; 2nd students scored higher than first grade students on class climate, student involvement and exploration.4. Rational style was positively correlated with class climate, physics creativity and its four dimensions, intuition style was positively correlated with cooperation and student cohesiveness. Positive correlations were found between physics creativity and class climate/student involvement/task orientation/exploration/equality.5. Teacher supportation moderated the relationship between rational style and physics creativity//fluency/flexibility/suitability. Class climate moderated the relationship between rational style and/fluency/flexibility.6. Class climate in class level predicted physics creativity/originality positively, and strengthen the positive relationship between rational style and fluency, there were no significant influence for class climate to the negative relationship between intuition style and physics creativity/originality.