Teachers' Effect on Students' Creative Self-Beliefs Is Moderated by Students' Gender

• Longitudinal studies tested teachers' influences in students' creative self-beliefs
• Teachers' ratings of students' creativity were positively associated with students' creative self-beliefs
• Effect was significantly stronger in case of female than male students

Creative self-beliefs, such as creative self-efficacy, predict creative activity and achievement. Still little is known, however, about the factors that shape such self-beliefs. Drawing on Bandura's sociocognitive theory, this longitudinal study tests the role of teachers' expectations on students' domain-specific creative self-efficacy. Teachers' ratings of students' creativity were substantially related to students' creative self-perception a semester later and this effect was significantly stronger among female than male students. We discuss these findings in terms of the accuracy of teachers' beliefs and the consequences of their influence on students' creative self-perception.