Abstract
Creative thinking has emerged as a critical competency in twenty-first century engineering practice, yet pedagogical strategies that systematically cultivate this capacity within STEM-oriented curricula remain underexplored. This study investigates how the purposeful integration of STEM technologies—encompassing digital fabrication tools, simulation environments, collaborative coding platforms, and project-based learning frameworks—influences the development of creative thinking skills among undergraduate engineering students. Employing a convergent mixed-methods design, the study collected quantitative data through the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) administered to 124 engineering students across two cohorts at a Central Asian technical university, alongside qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and artefact analysis conducted over one academic semester. Findings indicate statistically significant gains in creative fluency (p < .001, d = 0.74), originality (p < .001, d = 0.61), and elaboration (p < .001, d = 0.58) among students in the technology-integrated cohort relative to the comparison group. Qualitative analysis identified three enabling mechanisms: structured ambiguity in design briefs, iterative maker-cycle feedback, and cross-disciplinary technological exposure. The study contributes a theoretically grounded instructional model—the STEM Creative Cycle (SCC)—and offers practical implications for curriculum designers, faculty developers, and educational policy-makers aiming to embed creativity in engineering education.
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APA 7th edition
In-text citation: (Baratov et al., 2026)
Reference: Baratov, D., Donayevich, B., Abdimuminov, E., Nurova, O., Sharipov, S., & Rustamova, N. (2026). Developing creative thinking among engineering students through STEM technologies: A mixed-methods investigation.
European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), Article 56.
https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/19687
AMA 10th edition
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Baratov D, Donayevich B, Abdimuminov E, Nurova O, Sharipov S, Rustamova N. Developing creative thinking among engineering students through STEM technologies: A mixed-methods investigation.
European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1), 56.
https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/19687
Chicago
In-text citation: (Baratov et al., 2026)
Reference: Baratov, Dilshod, Burxon Donayevich, Erkin Abdimuminov, Oliya Nurova, Shuhrat Sharipov, and Nigora Rustamova. "Developing creative thinking among engineering students through STEM technologies: A mixed-methods investigation".
European Journal of STEM Education 2026 11 no. 1 (2026): 56.
https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/19687
Harvard
In-text citation: (Baratov et al., 2026)
Reference: Baratov, D., Donayevich, B., Abdimuminov, E., Nurova, O., Sharipov, S., and Rustamova, N. (2026). Developing creative thinking among engineering students through STEM technologies: A mixed-methods investigation.
European Journal of STEM Education, 11(1), 56.
https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/19687
MLA
In-text citation: (Baratov et al., 2026)
Reference: Baratov, Dilshod et al. "Developing creative thinking among engineering students through STEM technologies: A mixed-methods investigation".
European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 11, no. 1, 2026, 56.
https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/19687
Vancouver
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Baratov D, Donayevich B, Abdimuminov E, Nurova O, Sharipov S, Rustamova N. Developing creative thinking among engineering students through STEM technologies: A mixed-methods investigation. European Journal of STEM Education. 2026;11(1):56.
https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/19687