The role of design thinking in enhancing students’ creative thinking: a narrative review

A narrative review of research published between 2015 and early 2026 indicates that Design Thinking (DT) is a promising human-centered, iterative approach for fostering creative thinking in students across diverse educational settings. The study, which analyzed 58 peer-reviewed publications, suggests DT's effectiveness in cultivating creativity through stages such as empathy, problem framing, ideation, prototyping, and testing, addressing a widely acknowledged challenge in education regarding the cultivation and assessment of creative skills.

The consistent struggle of educational systems to foster and evaluate creative thinking presents a significant systemic challenge. Identifying Design Thinking as a viable approach offers a potential solution to enhance a critically valued skill, impacting future workforce readiness and innovation capacity across all sectors. This method could standardize and improve pedagogical practices aimed at developing creative problem-solvers.

Creative thinking is broadly recognized as a priority in educational contexts.

Forward consideration, not a verified fact.