Twenty-First Century Creativity: An Investigation of How the Partnership for 21st Century Instructional Framework Reflects the Principles of Creativity

The purpose of this study is to consider how the 21st-century learning framework reflects principles of creativity. This article provides a qualitative analysis of the Partnership for 21st Century’s (P21) policy documents, with a specific focus on how the principles of creativity, one of the 4Cs (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication) of the P21 learning framework, are reflected in these documents. Applying concepts from the conceptual and empirical literature on creativity, this article reveals substantive differences between English and science–technology–engineering–mathematics (STEM; mathematics and science) maps. The article also explores the role of technology in teaching creativity while addressing the new set of standards. Our findings have implications for reformers and practitioners who strive to address issues of creativity and innovation in policy and instruction.