Achievement goals influence mastery experience via two paths in digital creativity games among elementary school students

Abstract

Although cultivating creativity is greatly emphasized in elementary school education and that digital games can be a promising tool for improving creativity, little research has been conducted to identify and explore how player-related factors might influence the learning outcomes of digital creativity games. This study identifies 3 individual traits pertaining to digital creativity game playing and examines how these determinants influence self-efficacy and mastery experiences of creativity using structural equation modelling. The participants were 275 4th through 6th graders, and the employed method was inventory investigation. The findings reveal that the participants spend a large proportion of time playing digital games after school. Moreover, the results suggest that motivation for achieving both mastery goals and performance goals is crucial to enhancing self-efficacy and achieving mastery experience in creativity. Additionally, such motivation might enhance mastery experience via two paths: the experience of flow states and the strengthening of self-determination and self-efficacy. The findings of this study shed light on the design of digital games for creativity training.