Table 1 Characteristics of creative classroom climate

Cognitive support (Cropley 1992)

Divergent thinking

Creating a climate to support divergent thinking rather than convergent thinking

Creating an atmosphere that evaluates various answers rather than one answer

Original thinking

Creating a climate that supports a variety of problem-solving methods, rather than one method

Affective support

Intrinsic motivation (Furman 1998)

Creating a climate where children are more intrinsically motivated to engage than being extrinsically motivated

Fun (Nickerson 1999)

Creating a fun atmosphere

Openness (Cropley 1992)

Creating a climate where opinions from various perspectives are accepted

Challenge spirit (Cropley 1992)

Creating a climate to take risks and action

Independence (Choe et al. 2005)

Creating an atmosphere that supports each student’s own ideas

Relational support (Bak and Park 2009)

Relationship with teachers and peers

Creating an atmosphere where all children are welcomed and supported

Creating a climate of mutual respect and support among children