Investigating the relationship between curriculum components affecting creativity and dimensions of creativity in the Iranian architectural education system

The present study aims to elucidate the relationship between curriculum components influencing creativity and the dimensions of creativity within Iran’s architectural education system. The significance of this research lies in the fact that creativity—recognized as one of the core professional competencies of architects—is profoundly affected by curriculum design, teaching methods, and the structure of the learning environment. This applied–developmental research adopts a mixed-methods approach (quantitative–qualitative) and is conducted across four levels: descriptive–analytical, survey-based, case study, and futures research. Data were collected through curriculum content analysis, semi-structured interviews with faculty members and students, field observations in design studios, and a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The statistical population includes students and instructors from three major Iranian universities: the University of Tehran, Shahid Beheshti University, and Iran University of Science and Technology. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the one-sample t-test via SPSS software. Findings indicate that the concept of creativity is neither addressed as an independent course nor embedded within a coherent framework in current architectural curricula in Iran; rather, it is implicitly and sporadically integrated across theoretical and studio courses. Based on the five-stage model of the creative process (preparation, insight, development, nurturing, and evaluation), the comparative analysis revealed a significant, synergistic, and nonlinear relationship between seven key curriculum components—namely, content validity, appropriate knowledge structure, skill-based learning, integrative curriculum, indirect instruction, consideration of individual differences, and motivation enhancement—and the five dimensions of creativity. Among these, curricular content validity exerts the strongest influence across all dimensions of creativity, followed by skill acquisition and knowledge structuring, which play pivotal roles in fostering creative insight and design capability. Conversely, indirect instruction and motivation enhancement, while contributing to intrinsic motivation, have a comparatively limited independent effect on the manifestation of creativity. Moreover, the results demonstrate that creativity assessment remains the weakest link within the educational process, being predominantly outcome-oriented rather than process-oriented, with little attention to idea formation and divergent thinking.