Effect of Creative Self-Efficacy on Creativity among College Students: The Moderating Effect of College Innovation Climate

Abstract

Creativity is one of the five core competencies in the twenty-first century, and increasing attention has been paid to creativity development among students worldwide. Higher education institutions play a vital role in fostering creativity among university students. The present study examines the effect of creative self-efficacy and the college innovation climate on creativity of university students through the lens of social cognitive theory. A total of 573 questionnaires were collected from students at five universities in Hebei, China; the resulting data were analyzed through hierarchical regression analysis. The results confirmed that creative self-efficacy has a significant effect and that college innovation climate has a significant positive effect on university students’ creativity. Furthermore, the study revealed the moderating effect of the college innovation climate on the relation between creative self-efficacy and creativity. These findings offer theoretical and practical insights for enhancing creativity among university students.