Abstract
In the past few years, educators have been pushing for an integration of the arts into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning in order to promote innovation and creativity in these fields. The present study explores the relation between creativity and STEM learning among young children in digital and non-digital contexts, and how creativity affects STEM engagement. Parent-child dyads (n = 31) consisting of one parent and one child aged four-and-a-half- to five-years old participated in a repeated measures experiment during which they played with magnetic tiles (an activity that is similar to blocks) and then with a coding application on a tablet. This study analyzes secondary data by measuring creativity during the non-digital play, child task performance on the coding application, and parent report of children’s STEM engagement to better understand the relation between these variables. Results show that there may be a connection between creativity and STEM learning, but this relation is still unclear. This study will contribute to the development of STEM curriculum and its incorporation of creative activities in the preschool years.