Research on the Cultivation Path of Design Thinking in China's Basic Education Stage Based on Attribute Construction

Abstract

As basic education shifts from knowledge acquisition toward competency-oriented learning, design thinking has become an important approach to fostering students' innovation capabilities. However, existing design thinking curricula in K–12 education largely emphasize procedural application while overlooking the underlying cognitive mechanisms of design thinking, resulting in a lack of systematic theoretical foundations for curriculum development. To address this gap, this study investigates two fundamental questions: what design thinking is and how it can be effectively cultivated in basic education. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from cognitive science, design studies, and philosophy, the study proposes an attribute-based theoretical model of design thinking and, under the support of a provincial educational research initiative in Zhejiang, develops, implements, and iteratively refines a corresponding curriculum across multiple experimental schools. The study establishes a cognitive framework centered on attributes and develops a systematic and scalable curriculum for design thinking education. The findings demonstrate the practical value of the proposed framework in supporting curriculum design and instructional practice, while providing both a theoretical foundation and a practical pathway for advancing design thinking education and innovation-oriented talent cultivation in K–12 education.