With the growing emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education, arts-based approaches to teaching and learning science are increasingly recognized as promising pathways for fostering 21st-century skills, particularly creativity. However, the impact of STEAM practices on student creativity, and how this creativity relates to science learning outcomes, remains underexplored and lacks substantial empirical evidence.

This study addresses this gap by presenting findings from a two-wave quantitative investigation into the effects of a long-term STEAM intervention on two creativity-related cognitive processes—act and flow—and their connections with intrinsic and extrinsic components of science motivation. The research utilized pre- and post-intervention survey data from 175 high school students in Italy.

Key results indicate that the STEAM intervention positively influenced the act subscale of creativity and boosted science career motivation. However, it also had a negative effect on students’ self-efficacy. Gender differences emerged in these effects, highlighting nuanced dynamics in how students respond to STEAM-based approaches. Additionally, the findings underscore the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between creativity and science career motivation.

These results provide valuable insights for designing STEAM learning environments that balance the development of creativity with sustained motivation and self-efficacy in science education. Implications for curriculum design and pedagogical strategies are discussed in detail.

Using pre- and post-survey data from 2.000 high-school students in Italy, results show an overall positive effect of the intervention both on the act subscale of creativity and science career motivation, whereas a negative effect is found on self-efficacy. Gender differences in the above effects are also observed. Further, results provide support for the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between creativity and science career motivation. Implications for the design of STEAM learning environments are discussed.

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Keywords: INFN, CERN, Art, Science, STEAM, education, creativity, motivation, self-efficacy, gender balance