The Contributions of Creativity to the Learning Process within Educational Approaches for Sustainable Development and/or Ecosocial Perspectives: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review identifies the contributions of creativity to learning and its integration into teaching within educational approaches with an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective based on scientific publications in the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases, following the PRISMA methodology guidelines. This study establishes a comprehensive understanding of creativity from a sociocultural perspective and examines the relationship between creativity and educational approaches based on sustainable education. The results highlight that creativity is incorporated into teaching in a cross-cutting manner in the ideation, design, and implementation of pedagogical strategies that include diverse techniques, resources, and methodologies. Creativity contributes to learning by being multifaceted and transforming the student experience through the identification, understanding, appropriation, and applicability of concepts. Various strategies and methodologies are identified that promote creativity by involving students in collaborative and reflective processes. Creativity stimulates imagination, interdisciplinary and intercultural integration, and experimentation. The fundamental role of the teacher and the learning environment is emphasized. Finally, the need to integrate creativity into educational plans from these approaches is highlighted, fostering the adaptability to uncertainty and the generation of creative and sustainable responses. This review provides a synthesized and updated resource for teachers and individuals interested in the relationship between creativity, learning, and sustainability.

1. Introduction

The relevance of the concepts of sustainability and creativity is well documented by governmental and academic organizations [1,2,3]. The intrinsic relationship between these two concepts has been investigated from various perspectives, including business [4], organizational [5], tourism [6], financial [7], agro-industrial [8], and artistic [9]. Their promotion is part of the global agenda, as governments and public and private institutions must systematically and progressively integrate them into their processes [10,11], given that sustainable development is essentially a creative effort.

The socioeconomic model in which we live is unsustainable, leading to a multidimensional and ecosocial crisis wherein human and natural systems are intimately interconnected [12,13]. In this scenario, the education system bears significant responsibilities. Firstly, it must develop teaching strategies with an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective that incorporates creativity transversally in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of teaching methodologies. Secondly, it should offer educational experiences that actively promote creativity in the learning process.

The relevance of incorporating creativity into teaching and learning strategies is widely documented [14,15,16], and its significance in integrating it into teaching methodologies for sustainable development has been tested and verified [17,18]. Research in education for sustainability provides various teaching and learning strategies that incorporate creativity, as well as evidence of how it contributes to the educational process [19]. Nevertheless, there remains a need for a detailed and articulated understanding of the role of creativity in the various stages of the educational process, as well as criteria to consider in designing teaching and learning strategies for sustainable development [20]. In this regard, there is a lack of a general framework that identifies, integrates, and organizes the various ways in which creativity is incorporated and contributes to educational processes for sustainable development from diverse contexts and disciplines, as well as a synthesis that compiles didactically and pedagogically effective resources.

Research exploring the relationship between creativity and sustainability tends to approach it from specific fields and disciplines, and so the didactic resources and pedagogical strategies developed are effective for those particular contexts; however, creativity poses a challenge that requires interdisciplinary and intercultural responses [21,22,23]. Therefore, the synthesis and description exercise of this review aim to provide an updated input and a source of consultation for educators interested in developing methodologies in favor of learning with a sustainable and/or ecosocial approach. Thus, it allows them to adapt, relate, and evaluate those that could be effective based on the characteristics of their educational settings.

Some systematic reviews have been conducted addressing the relationship between creativity and sustainability [24,25,26]. However, the inclusion of the role of educational processes in these studies is limited. A number of systematic reviews have been conducted addressing the relationship between creativity and sustainability. However, the inclusion of the role of educational processes in these studies is limited. The first investigation analyzed the implementation of agile methodologies characterized by their participatory and collaborative approach in education as tools to develop key competencies for sustainable development. It was a systematic review of 121 studies, from which it was concluded that this methodology was successful in creating environmentally responsible citizens who developed adaptability, creativity, and systems thinking. On the other hand, [25] conducted a systematic review that addressed knowledge management from a holistic perspective, identifying the benefits of social network analysis in promoting creativity and productivity. The role of sustainable knowledge-sharing practices in promoting continuous learning and innovation was highlighted. Finally, ref. [26] explored the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, and creativity, proposing an integrated model of sports entrepreneurship that offers novel perspectives on sustainability and creativity in this field, and involved the employment of a bibliometric analysis and a systematic review process. Compared to the study realized by [24], our research paper differs in the sense that it proposes a global vision, rather than advocating for the application of a specific pedagogical methodology, in addition to exploring how creativity can be a key element in ecosocial and sustainable education, integrating it as an essential part of the educational process. In contrast to the work in [25], the approach taken in this review is broad and addresses creativity as a transformative element that goes beyond knowledge management, focusing on the transformation of mindset and sustainable educational practices. Unlike the study of [26], this review addresses creativity as an interdisciplinary phenomenon; although both studies value creativity, the contributions of this research offer an educational perspective that extends beyond the sports field. By emphasizing the integration of creativity in all phases of the educational process, this paper complements agile methodologies, knowledge management, and creativity in the sports domain, which are central aspects of these referenced studies.

The goal of this systematic review is to understand how creativity is incorporated into or contributes towards the learning processes developed in educational research that assumes an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective. It is necessary to understand pedagogically and didactically how these concepts relate, the results obtained, and their repercussions on the learning process. This work aims to determine which conceptual and methodological categories integrate sustainable and/or ecosocial educational approaches involving creative learning, which is an important contribution to the education of present and future generations in the face of the complex challenges of sustainability. Additionally, this work contributes toward positioning creativity as a facilitator of interdisciplinarity, providing clarity on specific creative approaches, and understanding the transversal nature of creativity in the design of teaching and learning strategies.

The main objective proposed in this paper can be summarized in the following research question: How is creativity incorporated and what is its specific contribution to the learning processes implemented in educational approaches based on ecosocial and/or sustainable education? To answer this question, the following specific aims are proposed: (a) identify how creativity is incorporated into teaching with an ecosocial and/or sustainable focus, and (b) understand how creativity contributes to the learning process derived from educational approaches with an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective.

1.1. Creativity with a Sociocultural Perspective

The various currents and perspectives from which creativity has been studied imply that this construct has a complex and multifaceted nature, making it essential, for its analysis, to start with its definition. In this research paper, creativity is assumed from a sociocultural perspective, and is understood as a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between individuals and their sociocultural context [27]. It is a psycho–socio–material and cultural manifestation, in which intrapsychological processes intervene in how the individual relates to the material world, producing novel artifacts [28]. It is a dynamic process in which dialogue allows for the recognition and integration of difference and the encounter of perspectives [29]. It involves generating new ideas, products, or solutions that are meaningful, useful, and valuable in specific social contexts that recognize, evaluate, and validate them [30]. Creativity can emerge from the individual, but its connection and rootedness in the sociocultural context, the norms that determine it, and the artifacts that compose it are undeniable [31].

From this approach, creativity is understood as a holistic, interdisciplinary, and intercultural phenomenon. In this sense, it is influenced by previous experiences, knowledge, contextual influences, interpersonal relationships, and cultural representations, which transform the perceptions, ideas, and creative expressions of individuals. Sociocultural creativity emerges from collaborative processes, exchange, and co-construction within specific cultural contexts [32]. Sociocultural creativity is manifested in the generation of novel products and alternative forms of relating, transforming social norms and cultural practices, and influencing the development of individuals and environments [33]. Recognizing and evaluating creativity requires an ecological perspective that integrates multiple opinions and validates its productions based on the impact generated in the social and cultural contexts [34].

1.2. Creativity and the Ecosocial and/or Sustainable Approach

The planetary crisis necessitates innovative educational approaches and strategies that integrate creativity. Exploring how creativity can enhance the understanding of issues from an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective allows for the generation of teaching strategies that promote pluralistic ways of knowing and being [35,36]. Creativity fosters the understanding of uncertain scenarios from multiple dimensions and disciplines, enabling students to inform and empower themselves and familiarize themselves with these scenarios, as well as find comfort while learning [32,36,37]. Creativity requires the interaction of fields of knowledge, culture, and people for society at large to recognize new ideas [27,29,38].

Currently, teaching methodologies that integrate creativity are required to increase awareness associated with sustainability [39]. Research has shown that students’ creativity can be enhanced through the implementation of specific learning strategies and techniques [40]. In this regard, creative pedagogies, by integrating interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work, promote the emergence of creative, collective, and sustainable solutions, which [41] implies that teachers need to have developed their own creativity [42,43,44], enabling them to recognize it, manage its development, and evaluate it [45,46].

1.3. Educational Approaches Based on Ecosocial and/or Sustainable Education

There has been an emergence of educational approaches based on ecosocial and/or sustainable education driven by organizations including UNESCO [11] and global agreements such as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations [10]. Education in sustainable development represents an approach that has emerged over the past 30 years to respond to environmental crises, inequality, neoliberal economics, and population growth [47]. The ecosocial educational approach complements the sustainability perspective by assuming that social and ecological issues have common roots, such as consumerism and individualism, and proposes a cultural shift in the narrative to value ecological sustainability and social justice on an equal basis. Considering this perspective, the effects of a crisis disproportionately affect socioeconomically disadvantaged populations [48]. From this educational paradigm, the intention is to work with a future-oriented perspective, contribute to improving living conditions, and guide everyday actions in favor of collective and social equity [49,50].

In the context of this study, sustainability is identified as the ability to meet present needs without compromising the conditions and resources necessary for future generations to meet their own needs. Additionally, sustainability should be understood as the capacity of socioeconomic systems to operate while maintaining the integrity and resilience of the ecological systems of which they are a part. This understanding is consistent with the propositions of Daly and Farley (2010), as well as Daly (2013, 2014), prominent economists in the field of ecological economics and sustainability. Daly proposes ten policies aimed at achieving a steady-state economy, including limitations on the use of renewable resources to their natural regeneration rate and restrictions on the use of non-renewable resources for sustainable development. Instead of focusing solely on economic growth, Daly argues that sustainability requires a restructuring of economic systems to operate within ecological limits, thereby seeking a balance between human development and the capacity of ecosystems to support life. This holistic perspective integrates ecological, economic, and social aspects to enable an in-depth understanding of the relationship between human and natural systems. Incorporating these policies into education can provide students with a clear understanding of specific actions necessary to promote sustainability in their daily lives [51].

In this study, the terms ecosocial education and sustainability are used complementarily, not necessarily as exact synonyms, but with the aim of achieving a holistic and multidimensional view of sustainable development. Ecosocial education emphasizes the interrelation and coevolution of human and natural systems, highlighting the need for a cultural transformation that includes environmental, social, and economic justice dimensions. Moreover, this concept aligns with the sociocultural perspective from which creativity has been approached. Although terms such as sustainable development, SDGs, and sustainable education are relevant and widely recognized, they are encapsulated in global objectives and specific targets.

Issues related to sustainability are addressed from multiple criteria, and the aim of these initiatives is to maintain harmony among individuals, nature, and society by impacting social, environmental, economic, and axiological capital [52]. The development of an ecocitizenship requires integrating ecosocial, critical, and creative thinking into school processes [53,54], with the learning framework proposed by the OECD characterizing four types of knowledge necessary from this perspective: disciplinary, interdisciplinary, epistemic, and procedural [55,56]. This should lead students towards a greater understanding of the world and enable them to become aware of what they learn [57,58], allowing them to use acquired knowledge in order to adapt, anticipate, and create in uncertain scenarios.

Educators must integrate competences in line with the demands of the real world into teaching practice, providing students with the opportunity to respond to future challenges [11]. These educational approaches demand a transformative pedagogy that integrates self-directed learning and promotes participation, collaboration, and inter- and transdisciplinarity [59,60]. Education from this perspective should facilitate the emotional understanding and management of sustainability-related issues, as these generate emotional burdens such as eco-anxiety on students and teachers [61,62]. Practical skills and sustainable attitudes must be developed [63], sustainability-related issues must be integrated into the curriculum [64], and citizen participation and engagement must be promoted [65], fostering values and empowering new generations towards a sustainable future [66].

2. Materials and Methods

The aim of this qualitative research is to describe the incorporation and contribution of creativity in learning processes that implement educational approaches based on ecosocial and/or sustainable education through a review of the scientific literature published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases from 2020 to 2024.

This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2021 guidelines [66] (Figure 1). The search strategy (

Table 1. Search strategy.

Independent Variable	“Learning”
Independent Variable 2	“Ecosocial Education” or “Sustainability”
Dependent Variable 1	“Creativity”
Search Strategy	(TITLE-ABS-KEY (ecosocial AND education) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (sustainability) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (creativity) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (learning)) AND PUBYEAR > 2019 AND PUBYEAR < 2025 AND (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, “ar”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (PUBSTAGE, “final”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, “English”) OR LIMIT-TO (LANGUAGE, “Spanish”))

) was adapted to the characteristics of the consulted databases. English- and Spanish-language research studies were included. Documents were processed using the Zotero reference management software. Data extraction was performed using a matrix constructed by the research group. Each abstract or study was examined by the authors, aiming to reduce bias in the selection of studies. An initial assessment was conducted based on the titles and abstracts of the retrieved studies. Only those studies that clearly met the inclusion criteria or for which the decision was not evident based solely on the abstract were selected for full review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were built based on the scope and intentions of the research objectives and the main research question.

This review considered the results yielded by the search equation, including studies published up to 1 April 2024. The selection of the time period between 2020 and 2024 sought to include current studies in the field of ecosocial and/or sustainable education. Given the constantly evolving nature of the topics addressed, this study focuses on recent research that permits the trend in addressing these concepts to be understood. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a re-evaluation of educational systems and their ability to respond to global crises, highlighting the need to develop adaptable educational approaches that integrate sustainability and address both present and future challenges. In this regard, the studies conducted during this period are particularly relevant, as they address the responses to an unprecedented global crisis [55]. The decade from 2020 to 2030 marks a critical period for the implementation of the 2030 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) it entails. Therefore, including studies published during this timeframe allows for a timely evaluation of current progress and challenges. In a dynamic and rapidly evolving field such as education for sustainability, selecting current studies ensures this review is grounded in the literature that reflects the latest developments in progress and challenges related to sustainability.

• Inclusion Criteria:
  • Research articles published between 2020 and 2024.
  • Research articles written in English and Spanish.
  • Research articles relating creativity to the learning process derived from educational proposals linked to ecosocial education and/or sustainability.
  • Research articles published in the Web of Science and Scopus databases.
• Exclusion Criteria:
  • Texts published outside the period between 2020 and 2024.
  • Research articles written in languages other than English and Spanish.
  • Research articles not present in the Web of Science and Scopus databases.
  • Research articles implementing pedagogical approaches not grounded in ecosocial education and/or sustainability.
  • Research articles implementing approaches grounded in ecosocial education and/or sustainability but in which there is no involvement or contribution of creativity within any phase of the learning process.
  • Systematic reviews, books, and book chapters.

The search equation was designed to ensure precision in the inclusion of relevant studies addressing creativity in sustainable and/or ecosocial educational contexts. Each concept of the strategy is well founded, with “Learning” included to ensure that the selected studies yield significant results in terms of improving participant learning, while “Education,” “Ecosocial,” and “Sustainable” focus findings on educational approaches aligned with these perspectives, combining both sustainability and ecosocial dimensions. This is justified by the complementarity of both views, where the former prevails in cultural roots, while the latter understands sustainability-related issues differently, in line with the sociocultural perspective from which creativity is addressed in this research paper. The term “Creativity” is the central focus of the study, and its inclusion ensures its incorporation or contribution to the teaching and learning process. The use of Boolean operators such as “AND” and “OR” permitted these concepts to be combined in order to obtain relevant and precise results aligned with the research objectives. The search strategy was designed to encompass key terms that already integrated the concepts of SDGs, sustainable education, and sustainable development. By including terms such as education and sustainability, the search focused on the literature that addressed the fundamental principles of these concepts. Ecosocial education and sustainability are broad terms that capture the essence of an educational approach promoting sustainability and social justice.

A thematic analysis was conducted and studies were categorized to identify recurrent patterns related to the role of creativity in teaching and learning within sustainable educational approaches, categorizing the various techniques, resources, and methodologies used to promote creativity in the classroom. Additionally, a synthesis of findings was performed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how creativity contributes to learning through the implementation of sustainable and ecosocial educational approaches.

3. Results

The results are presented and organized according to the questions raised in this research. The first of these focuses on how creativity is incorporated into teaching, and the second asks what the contribution of creativity is to learning, in both cases referring to educational proposals with an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective.

3.1. Incorporation of Creativity into Teaching with an Ecosocial and/or Sustainable Approach

The systematic review process permitted the determination of different ways, moments, and roles through which creativity was incorporated into teaching strategies in educational proposals with an ecosocial and/or sustainable approach. Integrating creativity into teaching with an ecosocial and/or sustainable focus necessitates implementing diverse teaching strategies that foster it, alongside incorporating values and principles coherent with the interdependence between ecological and social systems. This perspective channels creativity towards generating relevant proposals that address sustainability issues in alignment with the transformative potential of education. In this regard, the results evidenced that creativity influenced the process of ideation, planning, and designing various teaching strategies [68,69,70,71,72]; participated in the implementation phase as a pivotal, motivating, and challenging element [73,74,75]; energized relational processes among student and teacher groups; and promoted diverse forms of assessing educational processes [76]. Therefore, creativity was integrated holistically across the different stages of the teaching process [77].

Table 2. Teaching strategies incorporating creativity.

Teaching Strategies, Techniques, and Methods Incorporating Creativity	No of Papers	Frequency
Design Thinking [69,78,79,80,81]	5	11.11%
Creative Problem Solving [18,71,82]	3	6.66%
Studio Teaching [83]	1	2.22%
Living Labs [73]	1	2.22%
Flipped Learning [72]	1	2.22%
Mindfulness [17,84]	2	4.44%
Brainstorming [71,77]	2	4.44%
Biomimicry [71]	1	2.22%

synthesizes some of the findings, linking each with the research studies from which the data were extracted. In this case, two groups are covered that incorporated creativity: firstly, teaching strategies, techniques, and methods; and secondly, teaching methodologies. These creative teaching approaches prepare students to think diversely and flexibly, fostering collaboration and co-creation while promoting critical reflection on the ecological and social impact of their actions. Additionally, they promote an integrated and communal vision of sustainability.

In the first group, design thinking (DT), creative problem solving (CPS), mindfulness, and brainstorming stand out as effective techniques for incorporating creativity into teaching practices, with various studies existing in the field of education with a sustainable focus that have included and validated their impact. Below, we describe these effective techniques in integrating creativity within educational approaches with an ecosocial and/or sustainable perspective implemented to a greater extent.

DT is a methodology that fostered innovation, with its user-centered process facilitating the characterization of problem situations associated with sustainability. Its iterative stage-by-stage approach allowed for the structuring of work plans. Its implementation strengthened collaborative work, experimentation, and interdisciplinary integration. In the context of ecosocial and/or sustainable education, empathizing with communities facilitated emotional connection [69,78,80,81,85].

CPS is a technique that favored divergent thinking. Its systematic process proved efficient in addressing sustainability-related issues. Its adaptability allowed for the inclusion of this approach in teaching strategies designed across various disciplines and social contexts [18,71,82].

Mindfulness was incorporated to enhance concentration and emotional management, and to promote a receptive and creative learning environment. Reflective processes fostered creativity and critical thinking. Its implementation enabled participants to manage eco-anxiety [17,84].

Brainstorming was implemented as a technique for generating divergent ideas aimed at proposing, gathering, or categorizing proposals in response to sustainability challenges. It contributed to understanding and addressing complex concepts and fostered student participation. It promoted engagement and empowerment [71,77].

DT and CPS, incorporated into the design of pedagogical strategies, provided a systemic structure for addressing problem situations [71,73,76,78,81,83,86]. These types of methods transform the traditional way of addressing problems in schools, which prioritizes deductive thinking, to one that requires abductive reasoning and critical thinking [87]. Brainstorming was applied as a divergent tool for proposing, collecting, and categorizing ideas in response to challenges proposed as part of teaching, thereby facilitating the understanding of complex concepts [77]. Mindfulness and awareness-based education favored the incorporation of creativity, given that situating current issues as part of a teaching strategy implied assuming the emotional and mental costs they produce. Mindfulness as part of a pedagogical strategy promoted mental flexibility, the ability to concentrate on the task, and reduced levels of anxiety. With such strategies, it was observed that participants improved their attention levels and stimulated mental openness, giving space to new understandings and associations [17,84,88] (Table 2).

Regarding teaching methodologies that incorporate creativity, problem-based learning, project-based learning, and systemic learning stood out as the most used by the studies consulted in incorporating creativity [70,73,77,82,89,90,91]. These teaching methodologies that were implemented to a greater extent are described below.

Project-based learning as a methodology allowed students to work on significant and long-term projects addressing real-world sustainability issues. Its implementation favored active, meaningful, and experiential learning. It facilitated the integration of multiple perspectives due to its emphasis on collaborative project development. It strengthened analytical and synthesis skills by integrating phases and processes inherent to research [36,72,82,83,89].

Problem-based learning was effective provided that the problems posed were relevant and meaningful to the students, fostering autonomous learning and communication skills. It facilitated the transfer of learning to real contexts, which is highly pertinent in addressing sustainability issues. It promoted critical and analytical thinking [19,70,71,92,93].

Experiential learning as a direct experience led to meaningful learning. The use of simulations, practical projects, and role-playing games generated interest and motivation. Critical reflection favored metacognitive processes. Practical skills and competencies were developed that underpinned problem solving and decision making [68,69,78,83,87,92,94,95].

Reflective learning referring to the process of critical reflection allowed students to identify areas for improvement, develop new ideas, and creatively apply diverse concepts. Reflective processes enabled students to recognize learning as meaningful. Its implementation promoted self-directed learning and fostered transformative thinking [73,80,90,91,96,97].

These teaching practices that incorporated creativity were successful to the extent that they promoted spaces for dialogue, self-awareness, and reflection, as this contributed to creative self-efficacy and to co-creation and co-learning processes [68,80,81,83,84,89,92,94,98,99]. Unlike traditional teaching strategies, these types of methodologies allowed for the acquisition of knowledge and skills through the resolution of specific problems and the achievement of goals (

Table 3. Teaching methodologies incorporating creativity.

Teaching Methodologies Incorporating Creativity	No of Papers	Frequency
Problem-Based Learning [18,70,71,92,93]	5	11.11%
Project-Based Learning [35,72,82,83,89]	5	11.11%
Systemic Learning [70,75,81,82,99]	5	11.11%
Dialogical Learning [79]	1	2.22
Experiential Learning [68,69,78,83,87,92,94,95]	8	17.7
Self-Directed Learning [80,84]	2	4.44
Reflective Learning [73,80,90,96,97,98]	6	13.3
Game-Based Learning [72,83]	2	4.44

).

Table 4. Factors favoring the incorporation of creativity within teaching with a sustainable focus.

Factors Favoring the Incorporation of Creativity within Teaching	No of Papers	Frequency
Teaching strategies that linked:
Global Thinking [70,82,84,87,91,98,100,101,102]	7	15.5%
Critical Thinking [68,70,71,74,78,82,91,103,104,105,106,107]	10	22.22%
Future Thinking [70,79,83,91,92].	5	11.11%
Teaching strategies that stimulated:
Horizontal Thinking [18]	1	2.22%
Systemic Thinking [17,70,71,73,75,78,81,91,100]	9	20%
Abductive Reasoning [78,80,83]	3	6.66%
Transformative Thinking [17,70,75,79,81,83,84,87,89,91,102]	11	24.4%
Transgressive Thinking [84,102]	2	4.44%
Divergent Thinking [17,71,73,76,78,80]	6	13.3%
Environmental factors that incorporated creativity into teaching:
Stimulating and Motivating Environments [18,33,68,69,71,72,73,74,87,89,90,99]	12	26.6%
Psychologically Safe Environments [17,18,69,73,91,102]	6	13.3%
Democratic and Participatory Learning Environments [69,73,74,89,91,97,98,101,102]	9	20%
Flexible and Adaptable Environments [79,81,91]	3	6.66%
STEM-Linked Environments [77,78,82,98]	4	8.88%
Didactically and Technologically Equipped Environments [68,73,80,82,89,90,98,99,104,106]	10	22.22%
Collaborative approaches that incorporated creativity into teaching:
Co-Creation Processes [68,69,73,82,84,87,88,91,92,108].	10	22.22%
Co-Learning Processes [73,86,87,91,96,102]	6	13.3%
Cross-cutting factors that favored the incorporation of creativity into teaching:
Teacher Training in Creativity [70,93]	2	4.44%
Active Learning Experiences [17,76,78,83,93,95]	6	13.3%
Interdisciplinary Linkage within Teaching [17,18,71,78,83,87]	6	13.3%
Interdisciplinary Linkage within Teaching [17,18,71,78,83,87]	2	4.44%

synthesizes the findings regarding the factors that favored the incorporation of creativity within education with an ecosocial and/or sustainable focus. The following highlights those factors that were used to a greater extent.

Global thinking allowed students to broaden their horizons and consider multiple approaches in the process of generating creative solutions by facilitating an interconnected perspective. It included understanding cultural, economic, environmental, and social factors and promoted a holistic understanding of sustainability-related issues, as well as fostering ethical behaviors grounded in the common good [70,82,84,87,91,98,100].

Critical thinking enabled students to analyze and evaluate information objectively supported by criteria and arguments. Students questioned facts and challenged established aspects, fostering the exploration of novel and creative perspectives. It promoted logical and reflective thinking [68,70,71,74,78,82,91,103,105,107].

Future thinking involved understanding present actions and their long-term impact. It favored anticipatory thinking, strengthening students’ analytical capacity by identifying trends and emerging areas, which facilitated the generation of sustainable long-term solutions. Considering multiple scenarios promoted adaptability [70,79,83,91,92].

Systemic thinking allowed students to understand the interrelationships and connections within a system. It favored a holistic understanding of sustainability-related issues and increased demands in generating creative solutions by considering the effects of their implementation. It promoted an integrated and global view of sustainability-related issues [17,70,71,73,75,78,81,91,100].

Transformative thinking, contributed by questioning, established norms and beliefs, with these changes allowing for emerging solutions that would not have come about under other conditions. It produced significant changes in students and teachers, fostering self-awareness, strengthening the understanding of individuals, communities, and social systems, and facilitating attitudes and readiness for change [17,70,75,79,81,83,84,87,89,91,102].

Divergent thinking resulted from various stimuli and teaching strategies, allowing students to explore multiple possibilities and perspectives. It contributed to generating innovative and sustainable solutions to problems, and favored exploratory thinking and mental flexibility. This then enabled the management and understanding of ambiguous and uncertain scenarios [17,71,73,76,78,80].

For global, critical, and future-oriented thinking within the didactic design, teachers promoted in their students cosmopolitan solidarity [68,74,75,79,83,89,92,95,100] and a holistic understanding of the issues addressed in class associated with sustainability. Teaching from a global perspective allowed students to comprehend the relationship between their actions and the repercussions thereof on the current planetary crisis in different and novel ways [79,82,91,101].

Teaching strategies that stimulated horizontal, systemic, transformative, transgressive, divergent, and abductive reasoning favored the incorporation of creativity [72,76,82,84]. Transformative and transgressive thinking demanded a rethinking of conceptions about life itself, as generating transformations in crisis scenarios, such as sustainability, initially required an internal change on the part of the individual, which included patterns, values, behaviors, and beliefs [70,79,81,84,90,98,102]. Teaching strategies that encouraged divergent and horizontal thinking allowed latent knowledge to be relevant and applicable [76,86], creatively combining seemingly unrelated knowledge from different disciplines to address complex problems. Teaching that favored abductive thinking incorporated creativity by promoting the production of hypotheses based on data analysis or situations [73]. These teaching strategies incorporated creativity firstly by creatively generating modifications in pedagogical planning, and secondly by promoting interdisciplinary connections, anticipatory and critical thinking, and innovative combinations between concepts and approaches [72,98,103].

The learning environment was crucial in incorporating creativity, as it is more than just a place, it is an educational tool [99]. Taking into account the findings obtained, four types of learning environments prevailed: physical environments for face-to-face work, virtual environments for the development of synchronous and asynchronous practices, hybrid environments, mixing the possibilities of face-to-face and virtual interaction, and outdoor environments [73,82]. This discussion included sustainable and environmentally respectful architectural design [96,104].

In the reviewed studies, creativity was incorporated into the process of designing or modifying learning environments; in this sense, the creation of motivating, democratic, and participative learning environments favored curiosity and increased the students’ interest in the educational process, as they had an active role. Learning environments created to encourage the exchange of ideas, exploration, and construction of knowledge from various perspectives allowed for the consolidation of sustainable collective solutions [73,78,81,89,95,99,100,105]. Psychologically safe learning environments facilitated creativity by promoting risk-taking, fostering trust, and enhancing creative self-efficacy. Flexible learning environments facilitated the adaptation of teaching to students’ characteristics and needs, delving into their interests and incorporating motivation, thereby fostering creativity [71,80,85,96]. Environments equipped with didactic and technological resources provided teachers with greater tools for stimulating creative thinking [99].

Collaborative teaching approaches incorporated creativity by promoting spaces for co-creation and co-learning [68,71,73,81,96,101,106], which favored inclusion, the exchange of ideas, and the joint evaluation of environmental, economic, and political problem situations. One participant observed, “by designing, planning, and building something together, as simple as a compost bin, something more than the compost bin itself comes out of this, something in the connection that was made between us by doing this together” (PPM Kurjen Tila) [84]. Finding relevant solutions jointly facilitated the encounter between disciplines and cultures. Education in sustainable development prioritized collective and transdisciplinary responses [101].

Finally, several factors influenced the incorporation of creativity within teaching and were present in various studies. Firstly, for creativity to be included, active students with their own process were required, which improved their motivation [69], interest, and retention of learning [78]. Being in a process of discovery and self-discovery, empowerment as a determining factor in creativity and sustainability enriched the teaching process [79,87,94,97,100,103,106]. The successful incorporation of creativity into teaching for sustainable development required teacher training processes because teaching for creativity is a challenging task; therefore, changes in mindset and the diversification of teaching methods were promoted [104]. To address sustainability-related issues within teaching, the inclusion of transdisciplinary and transcultural processes proved effective in generating creative and sustainable solutions by integrating academic and non-academic perspectives from multiple disciplines and contexts [84,92,101,102].

3.2. Contribution of Creativity to the Learning Process Derived from Educational Approaches with an Ecosocial and/or Sustainable Perspective

The identification and description of how creativity is incorporated into the teaching process is followed by the presentation of its contributions to learning. For this purpose, the characteristics described by the consulted research and the changes in learning outcomes obtained by the participants were synthesized (

Table 5. Contributions of creativity to learning within education for sustainable development.

Contributions of Creativity to Learning	No of Papers	Frequency
Creativity contributed to the integration of knowledge and understanding.
[32,69,72,107,108].	5	11.11%
Creativity contributed to the exploration and approaches to assuming future problematic scenarios.
[32,68,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,83,84,90,92,96,106].	17	37.77%
Creativity contributed by challenging traditional frameworks.
[68,71,81,84,89,100,102].	7	15.55%
Creativity served as a motivator, fostering participation and surprise elements.
[68,71,72,75,76,78,82,89,90,91].	10	22.22%
Creativity contributed to handling frustration and failure.
[18,71,76,89].	4	8.88%
Creativity contributed to interdisciplinary and intercultural learning.
[18,32,71,73,75,79,81,84,91,97,99].	11	24.44
Creativity contributed to transformative learning.
[78,79,84,97,105].	5	11,11%
Creativity contributed to structuring learning.
[32,71,74,76,80,81,82,87,89,96].	10	22.22%
Creativity contributed to the learning experience.
[68,75,76,89,90,100,101,102].	8	17.77%
Creativity contributed to the perception and promotion of one’s own creativity.
[18,32,76,78,80,82,83,84,89,90,97,99,108].	13	28.88
Creativity contributed to the transformation of learning environments.
[18,71,75,77,83,90,96,99,104].	9	20%
Creativity contributed to reflective and communicative learning processes.
[17,72,88,98].	4	8.88%
Creativity contributed to the generation of innovative pedagogical strategies.
[32,77,82,87,93,97,99].	7	15.55%

).

Creativity contributed to learning by combining scientific training with a playful environment, fostering discovery, experimentation, and the integration of interdisciplinary knowledge [18,32,69,71,72,75,77,83,90,96,99,107,108]. By situating students in future scenarios, creativity stimulated imagination, promoted a holistic vision of sustainability-related issues, and facilitated adaptation to uncertain scenarios. The creative process allowed for diverse ways of addressing a fear of change, enabling the imagining of unexplored scenarios [68,73,74,95]. Creativity contributed to learning when students were allowed to work with concrete material and activities that required unusual manipulation or association, thus generating a sensory experience that facilitated the connection of abstract concepts with real scenarios [32,68,75,89,90,100,101].

Presenting challenging problem situations allowed creativity to contribute to learning by involving participants in empowerment and generating unusual associations between causality and possible solutions [32,68,70,71,72,75,77,78,79,83,84,90,96,97,105]. These experiences were meaningful and facilitated the students’ adaptability to uncertain scenarios [71,76,98]. Creativity contributed to generating differential solutions when tasks were organized into phases or stages, encompassing processes from planning to execution [76,81,82,89]. Participants found it novel to discover that creativity is a structured process that allows for the development of ideas [32,71,74,80,87,96,106].

Additionally, creativity contributed to transformative learning by challenging traditional cognitive frameworks, leading students to the processes of critical and reflective thinking involving the evaluation of their own beliefs and values [68,71,81,84,89,100,101]. The solutions proposed by the students to sustainability problems were more effective and efficient in promoting students’ perception of their own creativity [18,32,76,78,80,82,83,84,89,90,97,99,108] and included rigorous and disciplined processes. When situations involved horizontal thinking, associative creativity contributed to learning by demanding an open and flexible mindset that allowed them to address sustainability from different perspectives and viewpoints [102]. Learning experiences that motivated and surprised increased participation, thereby fostering curiosity and interest in the task, factors that influenced the achievement of creative and sustainable solutions [68,72,76,78,82,89,90,91].

Creativity contributed to handling frustration or failure and promoted resilience, adaptability, and autonomy, as it encouraged students to take risks, experiment, and explore phenomena in unusual ways [18,71,76,89]. The contribution of creativity was evident when situations requiring skills to link and relate different opinions, knowledge, and feelings were generated, fostering collaborative, interdisciplinary, and intercultural work [18,32,71,73,75,79,81,84,91,97,99]. Creativity contributed to learning by demanding reflective processes from the students, which are beneficial in generating associations and processing information, along with the communicative skills necessary for sharing ideas or findings with a scientific community or work team [17,72,88].

Similarly to the creativity–teaching relationship, in this case, creativity–learning, when teachers were trained to and employed innovative learning strategies [32,82,87,93,99,104], they improved the didactic transposition process [77], facilitating the assimilation and adaptation of complex content close to the realities and modes of understanding of the students.

4. Discussion and Conclusions

4.1. Theoretical and Practical Implications

In the educational research for sustainable or ecosocial development that was reviewed, creativity was incorporated in various roles, serving as a necessary skill to address the current crisis [73,81,91], as a result of a formative process [69,74], and as a reference incorporated in the design of strategies, techniques, and methods to address problematic situations.

According to the results obtained, several factors fostered creativity in both teachers and students, integrating into various teaching and learning experiences. Participatory and active methodologies, reflective and critical thinking, global and future-oriented perspectives, collaborative work, and co-creation particularly stand out, all within stimulating learning environments. To foster creativity in this ecosocial and/or sustainable educational approach, the construction of interdisciplinary collective solutions, idea exchange, and co-evaluation were prioritized [27,28,29]. Exploring multiple perspectives fosters creativity and demands that students challenge established structures to achieve significant, creative, and sustainable changes [30,73,74,91,101,109,110]. The findings allow for identifying creativity based on an ecosocial understanding perspective, as it favored synergy among individuals, environments, and cultures [31,32].

It is noteworthy that techniques developed in fields other than education, integrated into didactic methodologies of teaching with a sustainable and/or ecosocial focus, proved effective in incorporating and developing creativity. Design thinking, creative problem solving, and mindfulness emerged from fields such as product or service design, marketing, psychology, and contemplative traditions, providing distinctive elements that positively impacted the achievement of creative solutions with sustainability criteria in educational contexts, for both teachers and students [17,78,111,112]. By including a problem situation as a learning trigger and presenting it to a student in a structured manner or in phases, whether ideation techniques are applied or not, their brain was able to unconsciously work on incubating ideas and possible solutions [18]. However, these techniques tend to focus more on generating innovative solutions from a cognitive and productive perspective, rather than addressing the sociocultural complexity of ecological and social problems. These findings suggest that the understanding of creativity is implicitly built from paradigms rooted in the pursuit of materializing ideas and products, to the detriment of true social and cultural transformation.

From the ecosocial and/or sustainable educational approaches studied in this review, creativity demands a combination of scientific knowledge, cultural experiences, teamwork, and higher-order cognitive skills that allow for processing and associating information in unconventional and sustainable ways [17,98]. Implicit (horizontal) knowledge is just as important as vertical (disciplinary-expert) knowledge, and it is strengthened by cultural experiences; therefore, transculturality and transdisciplinarity are necessary in order to provide sustainable and creative responses [18,77,98,113,114]. All this allows us to assume that sustainability is not just a to-do list but a necessity that requires collective responses.

Among the results, the relevance of students’ emotional well-being stands out for assuming challenges associated with sustainability and promoting creative thinking. Preparing new generations involves recognizing the emotional and mental costs derived from the multidimensional crisis represented by sustainability. Educational approaches based on awareness strengthen attention, mental openness, and the generation of novel ways of understanding reality [113,114]. When the future is difficult to imagine, radical changes in teaching that allow for creative thinking are required [70], and for this to occur, student participation must be promoted freely and under the conditions of safety from judgment or rejection, fostering the development of creative self-efficacy [18,32,115].

The initiatives compiled in this review share the commonality that they were developed by teachers interested or trained in the field of creativity. To achieve sustainable development, teachers play a determining role; thus, their motivations and competencies must align in this regard [103,116]. The preparation, implementation, and evaluation of a lesson aimed at developing creativity in students require a teacher trained for this purpose [93,117]. Modern teachers have the task of preparing for the future; therefore, they must link reality to the classroom, foster idea generation, promote the understanding of universal values and experimentation, and contribute to the acquisition and development of creativity [93,97,118,119].

The findings reveal that learning environments were fundamental elements in incorporating creativity into teaching and contributing to learning. Educational spaces were restructured, as classrooms themselves became spaces for learning and socialization [28,29,120]. They integrated three categories: technological, physical, and environmental and [99], in addition to this, their design required multiple pedagogical, aesthetic, and economic considerations. Students developed feelings of esteem towards educational centers; therefore, these inspired and motivated necessary aspects for creativity [121]. Successful experiences were found in the research that developed in environments that integrated virtual and face-to-face interaction. As a result of the pandemic, new proposals for hybrid spaces have emerged. Currently, there is talk of green, ecological, sustainable, and environmentally friendly schools [122]; in this sense, the findings showed positive results when combining pedagogical knowledge with architectural knowledge.

Following the review, it is concluded that education for sustainable development begins with the intrapersonal dimension. Therefore, the development of ethical and moral values must be prioritized as a mechanism to empower students and enable them to understand the impact of their actions on sustainability. In this context, reflective processes must be included. Creativity fosters critical thinking and the capacity for innovation, which are skills necessary for addressing the complex challenges that sustainability entails. However, the educational process must provide strategies that integrate both sustainability and creativity. The Four C Model proposed by [123] is fundamental for addressing sustainability-related issues. Promoting the development of mini-c creativity through teaching strategies allows students to develop a profound and meaningful relationship with their environment, recognizing the impact of their actions from a global perspective. The diversity and multiculturalism offered by the classroom represent an opportunity to foster collaboration and exchange, enriching the creative process and the generation of sustainable solutions, as they impact both the individual and the collective, contributing to the transformation of school culture. It is necessary to design teaching strategies that integrate interdisciplinary work and address real and relevant issues. Various disciplines allow for the construction of solutions from a holistic perspective, as both creativity and sustainability are enriched through collective efforts.

The promotion of community impact projects that address local issues fosters a sense of responsibility and commitment toward the sustainability of the community itself. These initiatives stimulate research and the development of creative and sustainable solutions. Sustainability should be approached as an issue that involves the school and not as something external to it; thus, it must be integrated into all disciplines and include curricular strategies that prioritize it. These initiatives should enable students to see themselves as global citizens who are part of an interconnected world. With this direction of actions, the school values creativity and sustainable innovation, supporting research, experimentation, and risk taking. It is expected that these concrete actions will facilitate the adaptability of students to take on the challenge of present and future sustainability [124].

The incorporation of creativity into teaching and its contribution to learning in the context of ecosocial and/or sustainable perspectives provide valuable elements for the design of educational plans and align with the theory associated with this field [93]. However, the studies reviewed for this research paper are the product of educational initiatives for sustainable development established in various cultural contexts, involving populations of different ages, levels of education, disciplinary fields, and characteristics in general [18,88,91,101]. Therefore, this integration of results is valuable for the design of educational plans and teaching strategies, and as input for anyone interested in the relationship between creativity, teaching, learning, and sustainability. However, the pedagogical resources extracted as a result were used independently in the research and obtained results in specific contexts, populations, and fields; therefore, the integration and description of the product of this review cannot be generalized and applied deliberately without first consulting the sources to be aware of the details and make the relevant adaptations.

Finally, we can highlight that the ecosocial educational approach or perspective is implicitly found in various studies used in this review [75,83]. Nevertheless, it is rarely included in the literature as a concept. Sustainability and ecosociality are closely related in several dimensions; however, judging from the research and documents referenced, there is less cultural rooting of the ecosocial concept.

4.2. Limitations and Recommendations for Future Studies

The research that formed part of the sample of this systematic review was developed in contexts with favorable socioeconomic conditions; moreover, several received support from institutions and organizations. A considerable proportion emerged from North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and the few studies conducted in South America and Africa worked with socioeconomically stable populations based on the described data. There is, therefore, a need to increase the number of studies in socioeconomically disadvantaged and oppressed contexts and populations, as the development of creativity for sustainability requires teaching strategies designed for it and conditions that favor it.

The extracted data result from the narratives of the researchers, whose descriptions may be biased by factors linked to their implicit theories or culturally inherent aspects. Creativity is a complex phenomenon that is difficult to measure and define objectively, which may place limitations on the capacity of the study to fully extract the diversity of creativity in the educational context. It is important, therefore, to recognize and validate these limitations when interpreting the results.

This systematic review did not involve the preparation of a formal protocol. All methodological procedures and inclusion criteria were established internally before initiating the review. The materials used in this review are available through direct contact with the authors of the article.

Incorporating creativity into teaching and allowing it to contribute to learning in education in sustainable development depends on multiple factors [93]. As a result, it requires synergies between actors and contexts, implying complementarity between intentions, conditions, and actions [79]. Hence, there is a need for further exploration of this topic, promoting the design of teaching strategies that link creativity in novel ways and placing narratives in schools with a global and future perspective [79,83,84,87,91]. This implies a paradigm shift towards approaches that value cultural diversity, inclusion, and social justice as essential components of creativity and sustainability [91,107]. Finally, there is a need for comprehensive teacher training processes, which are required in order to prepare them to foster sociocultural creativity in their pedagogical practices, where the community is integrated into the classroom, collective initiatives are promoted, and innovation processes with an ecosocial perspective are encouraged.