Open science as an innovative educational tool for creativity and problem-solving in higher education: Implications for marketing-oriented learning
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DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.22(2).2026.24
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Article InfoVolume 22 2026, Issue #2, pp. 348-373
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Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
Open science is increasingly recognized as an innovative educational tool for developing creativity, idea generation and problem-solving skills in higher education, with potential implications for marketing-oriented learning. This study examines how students’ engagement with open science practices is associated with their perceptions of creativity and problem-solving with particular attention to open data, open educational resources, open scientific publications and barriers to adoption. The empirical analysis is based on a cross-sectional survey of 2,250 students from Ukrainian higher education institutions. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, a correlation matrix and ordinal logistic regression models were applied in RStudio. The results show that the frequency of open science use is positively associated with the overall perceived creative value of open science (ρ = 0.498, p < 0.001). Among specific open science elements, the strongest correlations with use frequency are observed for open data (ρ = 0.295), open educational resources (ρ = 0.260) and open scientific publications (ρ = 0.240). Ordinal logistic regression shows that the overall perceived creative value of open science is the factor most strongly associated with reported open science use (β = 1.236; OR = 3.440; p < 0.001), while open data and open educational resources are also positively associated with engagement. Barriers have weaker associations, although lack of instructor support is negatively related to students’ perception of open science’s creative value (β = –0.092; OR = 0.912; p = 0.015). The findings suggest that open science practices may support marketing-relevant competencies, including evidence-based thinking, data interpretation, creative communication and innovation-oriented problem-solving.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by an EU grant “Immersive Marketing in Education: Model Testing and Consumers’ Behavior” under the project No. 09I03-03-V04-00522/2024/VA, by the Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic under the project “Innovative business models in relation to Generation Z consumer behavior towards economic decarbonization activities” under project No. KEGA 026EU-4/2026 and by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine “Modeling and forecasting of socioeconomic consequences of higher education and science reforms in wartime” under the project No. 0124U000545.
- Keywords
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JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)I23, M31, O31, O33
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References55
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Tables10
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Figures1
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- Figure 1. Spearman rank correlation matrix for the frequency of open science use and creativity-related open science indicators
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- Table 1. Variables used in the study
- Table 2. Spearman’s rank correlations between the frequency of open science use and perceived creativity-related effects of open resources
- Table 3. Ordinal logistic regression results for the factors associated with reported open science use frequency
- Table 4. Spearman’s rank correlations between the overall perceived impact of open science on creativity and selected open science indicators
- Table 5. Ordinal logistic regression results for open science elements associated with the perceived creative value of open science
- Table 6. Spearman’s rank correlations between barriers to open science and the perceived creative value of open science
- Table 7. Ordinal logistic regression results for the effect of open science barriers on the perceived creative value of open science
- Table A1. The distribution of responses
- Table A2. Descriptive statistics for the study variables
- Table A3. Mapping between empirical variables and questionnaire items
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