Trends of Graduate Theses with the Subject of Education and Training Conducted on Creativity

The aim of this research is to examine the trends of the studies that address the education-training dimension of creativity in Turkey. The research was conducted using a qualitative research pattern. The data was collected and analyzed through document analysis. In the analysis of the data, the thesis analysis form developed by the researchers was used. One hundred and forty-five graduate theses studied between 2005 and 2019 in the field of education, which were allowed access by their authors, constitute the study group of this research. 114 of these works consist of graduate theses and 31 of them consist of doctoral theses. The graduate theses in the Council of Higher Education database were examined under a total of 10 titles according to their distribution over the years-educational levels, university distributions, institute distributions, branch distributions, methods and sub-methods, data collection tools, sampling/study groups, sampling methods, education level of the study group and thesis titles. As a result of the research, it was observed that although studies addressing the educational-educational dimension of creativity have increased at a certain level over the years, they are not at the desired point and have not been studied adequately. In addition, it was determined that the studies carried out in terms of the discipline, the methods used and the variety of topics studied had similarities, that no studies on creativity were conducted in some departments, that the study group usually consists of a single level of education, that this situation does not allow to look at creativity from a broad perspective, and that there are many aspects of creativity that have not been studied for those who will work in the educational dimension.


Introduction
Creativity is a skill that has always been the focus of attention from the very first day of human existence to the information age we are in (Kiper, 2016). Creativity, one of the most fundamental characteristics of humanity, is not only an innate instinct and a way of thinking that every person has but also physical, biological, and psychological needs (Özerbaş, 2011;Onur&Zorlu, 2017;Cannatella, 2004).
While it is known that information is rapidly changing and evolving, that information production and use are intensifying and technological developments are gaining momentum, this wind of development and change is another known fact that it brings more problems and problems with it (Kılıç & Tezel, 2012;Hotaman, 2011). The ability of societies to capture this pace of change and to produce solutions to issues and problems experienced in energy, health, industrialization, urbanization and, perhaps most importantly, education is directly proportional to the potential for raising creative individuals (Öz- Aydın & Ayverdi, 2014;Karakuş, 2001;Gök & Erdoğan, 2011;Aktamış & Ergin, 2006). When we look at the nations that have developed in all fields and maintained their existence throughout history, it is possible to see traces of the value given to creative thinking and creativity skill (Ersükmen, 2010). It is no coincidence that societies with creative individuals lead others, and are further ahead in technological and economic terms (Işık, 2013). One of the most effective ways to improve the quality of life and to live in prosperity is to educate individuals as individuals who can think creatively and find creative solutions to problems (Öncü, 2018; Özerbaş, 2011).
when the creativity potential of individuals begins and it almost peaks by the age of thirteen (Ömeroğlu, 1988). The child, by adding all his experiences on top of each other, begins to establish a network of relationships among them. Through various stimuli around him, the child's abilities of reasoning, creativity, and imagination develop (Kiper, 2016;Can Yaşar & Aral, 2010). However, when children start school and become students, in other words, when they participate in the socialization process, their creativity will be dulled if they encounter an authoritarian and restrictive environment and a rote educational pattern (Gartenhaus, 1997). However, in order to be creative, children who are individuals of the future need to have self-confidence, think independently, go outside the usual patterns, encounter a free environment where they can use their own abilities to the full extent (Kurtzberg, 2005;Can Yaşar & Aral, 2011). It is possible to find a great number of negative examples on this subject until the recent past. While the individual's natural creativity led him to seek answers to some of the problems he faced, the education system did not provide him with information on how to look for and evaluate these answers, nor did it allow him to use his abilities (Dolmaz & Kaya, 2018;Gökalp, 2016). In line with the purposes of rote education, students were forced to memorize certain dates of the past, punctuation rules, and multiplication tables even in high school years, and were motivated to behavioral patterns. Thus, "to invent with imagination was sacrificed to do the practical and right" (Torrance, 1977;Gartenhaus, 1997). However, a new curriculum was prepared in line with the constructivist approach as a result of the effort to educate individuals in accordance with the requirements of the age and with the new education curriculum, creativity skills have been brought to the fore like other fundamental life skills. Thus, among the common skills that many disciplines aim to develop, creativity has found itself a place (Atasoy, Kadayıfçı & Akkuş, 2017;Dolmaz, 2017;Tezci & Gürol, 2003).
At this point, today, having only mere knowledge is not considered sufficient by societies. Diplomas held by individuals are seen as a basic requirement, and individuals are expected to have several high-level thinking and life skills in addition to their diplomas. Entrepreneurship, communication, critical thinking, innovation, information-using and communication technologies, problem solving, and creativity are among the most important skills (Yanpar Yelken, 2009;Kesicioğlu & Deniz: 2014). However, there is a need to place a separate emphasis on creativity skill here. Creativity is a skill that is employed in all aspects of life, in all professions, and at every stage of all sensory and intellectual activities (Dikici, 2006;Aral, 1999;Ağluç, 2013;Yenilmez & Yolcu, 2007). An individual who has creativity skill, required widely, will make acquiring and developing other skills quite easy. Because individuals who can think creatively are also people who can critically look at events and situations (Gök & Erdoğan, 2011), who can produce new and creative solutions to problems in different ways, who are open to innovation and take risks (Yontar, 1993), who are curious and entrepreneurial, who ask-question and who are effectively successful in using science and technology (Kara & Şençiçek, 2015;Karabey, 2010).
From health sciences to social sciences, from science to mathematics, all the inventions that will contribute to the future of humanity in all aspects of life will be realized by the use of human creative skills. Creative thinking, which will make life easier by adding new horizons to the lives of societies, can be developed through the education of individuals (Öztürk, 2001). In creative education, it is possible to look at events in a multifaceted way, to take advantage of much information, and to produce different and effective solutions (Kiper, 2016). Creativity is of particular importance for an effective educational environment that will enable future doctors, bankers, teachers, scientists, in other words, future generations to grow. The existence of creative individuals in fields such as business, art, technology, and science is directly related to the creative education system of societies. Creative individuals are also protected by society and institutions in which they reside (Ersükmen, 2010), because individuals, institutions and societies always try to be one step ahead of others. Today, being rational, self-renewing, making quick and flexible decisions in the time of sudden problems, and putting original products with existing information is highly valuable as events and problems are fluid, dynamic and spontaneous (Karakuş, 2001;Aktamış & Ergin, 2006;Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). Access to all kinds of information is easier in today's world, so importance of the possession of information is replaced by the ability to use information. At this point, the important thing is to create value by putting something new on top of what exists (Demir, 2013).
When graduate studies on creativity, which are considered to have an important impact on the future of societies and which are considered to be among the most important skills of the future (Craft, 2001), are examined, it was found that they are few in number. As creativity is a skill that concerns almost every field provides researchers with great opportunities in terms of subject and depth. This study is implemented with theses on education-training conducted in the field of creativity is expected to contribute to the field since it would determine trends of the field by analyzing the distribution of the studies made in the last 15 years and would guide the new studies.

Aim of the Study
The main purpose of this research is to determine the trends of graduate thesis studies conducted on creativity with the subject of education-training. In line with this main purpose, answers will be sought for the following sub-purposes: • How do theses on creativity differ according to the years and levels of education?
• How do theses on creativity differ according to the universities they are conducted in?
• How are theses on creativity distributed according to the institutes in which they are conducted?
• How do theses on creativity differ according to the departments in which they are conducted?
• How do theses on creativity differ according to research methods and sub-methods?
• How do theses on creativity differ according to the number of data collection tools used in research?
• How do theses on creativity show a distribution according to study groups/sampling?
• How do theses on creativity differ according to sampling methods?
• How do theses on creativity differ according to the level of study group/sampling?
• How are theses on creativity distributed according to the subject areas related to their titles?

The Research Model
The research was conducted by adopting a qualitative research pattern. Qualitative research enables the subject to be described and interpreted in-depth with a holistic approach (İslamoğlu & Alnıaçık, 2014). In this study, the document review method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Document review involves a systematic examination of written, printed and electronic sources that contain information about the data within the scope of the research (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2006;Maxwell, 2007;Bowen, 2009;Karadağ, 2014). Furthermore, in this method, it is essential to collect, review, query, and analyze documents that constitute the primary source of research data (O'leary, 2004(O'leary, Cited in Özkan, 2019.

The Study Group
The study group of the research consists of theses with the subject of education and training, which were conducted on creativity between 2005 and 2019 and the titles of which were filtered with the terms 'creative' and 'creativity' and which were granted access. 145 graduate publications analyzed in the meantime have formed the study group of the research. The reason why the starting point was chosen as 2005 is that creative thinking began to take part in curriculum put into practice in 2005. In the selection of the study group, criterion sampling, which is a variant of objective sampling, was used. Criterion sampling means selecting participants according to definite criteria such as particular characteristics, events, objects or situations (Büyüköztürk, Çakmak, Akgün, Karadeniz & Demirel, 2011). The sampling criteria for this research was determined that theses should be prepared between 2005 and 2019, include the terms 'creative' and 'creativity' in their title, and be conducted in the field of education-training and be accessible.

Data Collection and Analysis
In order to collect the data, the graduate theses that are filtered according to certain criteria in the YÖK National Thesis Center Database were transferred to the computer in pdf (portable document file) format. The analysis form was prepared by the authors in line with the research questions. In the preparation of the thesis analysis form, the views of two field experts, excluding researchers, were applied for language and field validity and reliability. In accordance with the views and suggestions, a pilot application was made with 20 graduate theses and the form was given its final form. The form, in its final form, has created an opportunity to collect information about the years they were studied, what level of education they were prepared, universities-institutes-departments they were studied, study groups/ samplings, sampling methods, sampling group selection education levels, research methods, data collection tools used in research theses within the scope of the research and allowed thesis titles studied to be classified into categories. For the reliability of the form, the compatibility between coders was controlled by the formula (reliability=Consensus/(Consensus + Dissensus) proposed by Miles and Huberman (1994), and the compatibility rate between coders was found to be 100%.

Limitation of Research
The research is limited to the Turkish graduate thesis studies which were studied at the state and foundation universities in Turkey between 2005 and 2019 and which are open to access in the database of YÖK (Higher Education Council) publication and documentation department, contain the words 'creative' and 'creativity' in the title content and have the expression of education and training in the subject section on thesis scanning screen.

Findings
In this part, several findings on the graduate theses with the subject of education and training conducted on creativity between 2005 and 2019 can be found.

Findings on Distribution of Graduate Theses with the Subject of Education and Training Conducted on Creativity According to Years and Education Levels
The distribution of graduate theses on creativity according to years and education levels is given in Chart 1. As shown in Chart 1, a total of one hundred and forty-five graduate thesis studies which were studied between 2005 and 2019 and were accessible in the YÖK database were found and it was determined that one hundred and fourteen of these studies were studied at the graduate level and thirty-one at the doctoral level. year in which the most graduate theses was studied is 2019.  In total, 145 graduate thesis studies on creativity were conducted at 52 universities. According to Chart 2, most thesis studies were conducted by Gazi University (20). Gazi University is followed by, respectively, Dokuz Eylül University (12), Marmara University (9), Selç uk University (8), Istanbul University (6), Atatürk University (5), Hacettepe University (5)

Findings on Institutes Where Graduate Thesis Studies on Creativity Conducted Between 2005 and 2019
Information about the institutes where the graduate studies on creativity conducted between 2005 and 2019 are given in Figure 3.

Figure 1. Data on The Institutes Where Graduate Theses with the Subject of Education-Training on Creativity Were Conducted
When Figure 3 is examined, it is seen that of one hundred forty-five thesis studies, eighty-five theses on creativity were studied at the institute of educational sciences, forty-seven at the institute of social sciences, eleven at the institute of sciences, one at the institute of health sciences and one at the Cerrahpaşa Graduate School of Education.
In addition to the fact that the institute of educational sciences has the highest number of theses, according to other data obtained, almost all of the theses in the social sciences and science institutes have been delivered by the disciplines that train teachers.

Findings on Graduate Thesis Studies with the Subject of Education-training on Creativity, according to the Disciplines in Which They Are Conducted
Data regarding the number and disciplines of graduate studies conducted in various departments of universities are given in Chart 4. As given in Chart 4, Science Education is the area where theses on education and training in the field of creativity are most studied.
In the field of Science education, twenty-one graduate studies were conducted. Science education is followed by "Class Education" with sixteen graduate theses, "Education Management, Inspection, Planning and Economics""Education Programs and Teaching", "Preschool Education", "Mathematics Education"disciplineswith eleven studies. Ten theses have been prepared each in "Child Development and education" and "Art Teaching". Respectively, eight studies were conducted in the "Educational Sciences", six in the "Intellectual Giftedness Education", four in the "Guidance and Psychological Counseling", and three in the "Turkish Education". Two studies were conducted each in "Fine Arts Education", "Psychology Education", "Social Studies Education", "Educational Technology", "Chemistry Education", "Physical Training and Sports Education" and "Music Education" fields.
Furthermore, apart from these disciplines, thesis studies on creativity were conducted in nine more disciplines. However, the first nineteen disciplines are included in the chart. The rest of nine disciplines have only one gradute thesis on creativity. These branches are the departments of "Clinical Psychology", "Education of Mentally Handicapped", "Life-long Learning", "Vocational Drawing Education", "Computer and Teaching Technologies", "Program Development in Education", "Turkic Studies", "Special Education" and "Biology Education".
Although a total of twenty-eight scientific studies have been conducted on creativity in education and training, the number of studies carried out remains relatively low. Only one or two studies have been conducted in most of the disciplines in education; however, in many sciences such as history, geography, and physics education, no studies on creativity have been found.

Findings of Graduate Thesis Studies Conducted during 2005-2019 with the Subject of Education-training on Creativity, According to Their Methods
The methods of graduate studies conducted during 2005-2019 with the subject of education-training on creativity are given in Figure 5 and Table 1. Among the theses on creativity, 112 were conducted with quantitative method, 16 with mixed method, and 13 with qualitative method. The majority of the 112 quantitative studies (n=59) were studied with survey method. The number of researches studied in the experimental pattern is thirty-four and the number of semi-experimental studies is seventeen. One of the remaining two studies is a causal comparison and the other one is correlational research.
Five of the graduate theses studied in the qualitative pattern are case studies and three are document review studies. Only one study was conducted for each of the complementary assessment, observation, and literature review methods. In one research, document examination and interview methods were used together and in one research, document examination, interview, and observation methods were used together. In research with qualitative patterns, the most preferred method is observed to be the case study.
Of the sixteen studies patterned by the mixed method, five were studied with nested patterns, four with the explanatory sequential pattern, and two with convergent parallel patterns. In five studies, the methodology (it was mixed method) was not specified by the author of thesis and they were therefore placed under the category of  In light of these findings, it is observed that the authors of graduate theses generally prefer quantitative research methods, followed by mixed-method patterned research and that the least preferred method is qualitative research methods.

Findings on Data Collection Tools Used in Graduate Thesis Studies with the Subject of Education-Training on Creativity
The data collection tools and usage numbers used in graduate studies with the subject of education-training on creativity are given in Table 2.
Forty-four of 145 graduate thesis studies were studied with a single type of data collection tool. In twenty-five of the studies carried out with a single data collection tool used scales, in eight of studies used tests, in eight of studies used forms, in two of studies used questionnaires and in one of studies used clinical interview.
Of the sixty-six studies conducted with two types of data collection tools, twenty-one "test+form" was preferred in twenty-one, "scale+form" was preferred in eighteen, and "test+scale" was preferred in eighteen studies. In other studies with two types of data collection tools, "test+questionnaire", "form+rating scale", "form+inventory", "form+material", "observation notes+form", "scale+inventory", "event product+drawing", "form+survey" and "scale+ list" are each used once.
Of the six studies conducted with four types of data collection tools "test + inventory+scale+ form" was used twice and the combinations of "test+form+drawing+rubric", "video recording+form+observation notes+activity product", "drawing+album+form+questionnaire" and "form+test+activity product+study sheet" were preferred once. In two studies, the use of the data collection tool was not specified, therefore, it could not be determined.

Findings Related to Study Groups / Sampling of Graduate Thesis Studies with the Subject of Education-Training on Creativity
Groups and group formation frequencies that are subject to study groups/sampling of graduate studies with the subject of education-training on creativity are given in Figure 6.
When the study groups of researches conducted between 2005 and 2019 are analyzed, it is observed that one hundred and eleven studies were conducted only with students and eighteen studies were conducted with teachers. While it can be determined that four graduate research was conducted with school administrators, one research with authors, one research with trainees, one research with pre-school children groups and one research with documents (books, articles, etc.), in one research, study group/sampling was not indicated by the author; however, as a result of the examination, it was determined that thesis was prepared as a literature review study. It was seen that four thesis studies were conducted with teachers and administrators; three thesis studies were conducted with students and teachers.
The most important point to note here is that the study group/sampling consists of only one group except for seven studies. In fact, one hundred and eleven studies were conducted with only students and eighteen studies were conducted with only teachers.

Findings on Sampling Methods of Graduate Thesis Studies with the Subject of Education-Training on Creativity
Sampling methods of graduate thesis studies conducted during 2005-2019 with the subject of education-training on creativity are given in Figure 7. When the chart is examined, it could be understood that the most preferred sampling method was random sampling with forty-six frequency values. Following this sampling format, it was seen that the most preferred format was criterion sampling. Twenty-two graduate studies were conducted using criterion sampling. Thirteen researchers preferred the easily accessible/appropriate sampling format in their research. These sampling formats were followed by cluster sampling with nine studies, stratified sampling with seven studies, and maximum diversity sampling formats with one study Random and criterion sampling methods were used together in the two studies. Again, stratified sampling and random sampling methods, easy and maximum sampling methods and criterion sampling, and maximum variety sampling methods were used together once. In four studies, no sampling methods were used and the entire population was studied.
One of the most important points of note is the determination that there is no mention of the sampling method in thirty-six studies. In these studies, no sampling method was given by the authors so it could not be determined. It has been determined that only two of these studies may not contain samplings due to the nature of their methods (literature writing, document examination, etc.). In the remaining thirty-four studies, although they contain study/sampling groups, sampling methods were not given. This number represents a fairly high proportion of one hundred and forty-five graduate thesis work.

Findings on the Levels of Education in Which the Study Group/sampling is Selected in Graduate Thesis Studies with the Subject of Education-training on Creativity
Data on the education levels of the groups that make up the study group/sampling of graduate theses conducted on creativity between 2005 and 2019 are given in Figure 8. When Chart 8 is examined, the following can be said about the educational level in which the sampling/study group of one hundred and forty-five graduate studies is selected: It was seen that forty-six studies showed that the sampling/study group was chosen from the secondary school level, twenty-three studies from pre-school (kindergarten) levels, twenty research from undergraduate (university) levels, eighteen studies from the primary school level, twelve studies from the high school level, two research from associate degrees, in one study from the trainees of a training center, although their education status is unclear, in one study from rehabilitation centers, although their education status is unclear and in one study from adults, although their education status is unclear as well.
Although not many, some studies have been conducted with different groups in the two levels of education. In thirteen studies, the sampling/study group was selected from primary and secondary school levels, in two studies from kindergarten and primary school levels, and in one study from secondary and high school levels. There is one study in which a study group/sampling is selected from the primary school, middle school, and high school levels. In four researches, no findings were found in this regard.
When the data in Chart 8 is evaluated generally, it is observed that the sampling group/study group is usually selected from a single level of education. It is observed that twenty researches are carried out with different levels of education and to provide data diversity.

Findings on the Subjects Related to Graduate Thesis Studies with the Subject of Education-Training on Creativity
Information on which subjects are studied for graduate thesis studies with the subject of education-training on creativity is given in Table 3.
When Table 3 is examined, it is seen that most studies on creativity are conducted in twenty-three research and two titles. While the first of these was on the "relations of creativity with various teaching methods, strategies, techniques, and applications", the second one was on the relationship of "various variables and creativity" each with twenty-three studies. This title is followed with titles of "level of creativity" with twenty-two studies, "creativity in different fields" with twenty studies, "creativity in the context of writing, reading, speaking and thinking skills" with nine studies, "creative drama" with eight studies, "gifted individuals and creativity" with seven studies, "curriculum programs and creativity" with six studies, "creativity in the context of teaching approaches" and "creativity in the context of student and teacher views" with five studies each, "creativity in the context of arts and literature products" with four studies, "teaching materials and creativity" with three studies, "creative individual characteristics" and "individuals with special needs and creativity", "perceptions towards the concept of creativity" and "relationship between instructional technologies and creativity", with two studies each, "creativity components" and "creativity education" with one study.

Discussion and Conclusion
For the first research question about the distribution of creativity-related theses according to years and education, a total of 145 graduate studies were found. While the majority of this number (114) was graduate studies, the doctoral studies remained a small number (31) according to the collection. A similar situation occurs in Oğuz Hacat and Demir's study conducted in 2019, which examined theses on literacy in the field of education. In their study, the researchers stated that graduate theses are almost one-third of the doctoral theses. In studies related to many different fields and topics in which thesis work is examined also, again, the excessiveness of graduate theses compared to doctoral theses is remarkable (Kurtdede-Fidan & Öner, 2018;Küçükoğlu & Ozan, 2013;Karadağ, 2014;Şahin, Göğebakan Yıldız & Duman, 2011;Akyol & Yavuzkurt, 2016). This situation can be explained by the fact that the number of graduate studies is higher than the number of graduate degree programs compared to the doctoral programs in the institutes in Turkey. In addition, the fact that the doctoral process covers a longer process and the number of people attending this education is less can be shown among the factors of this situation. It is seen that the largest number of thesis studies took place in 2014 and the least in 2005. Given the number of theses published and unpublished by year, it can be said that as of 2019, graduate thesis studies on creativity is starting to increase again. Despite this increase and thesis work published over fifteen years, the rate of study in the field of education related to creativity, one of the most basic life skills, can be said to be insufficient. The fact that only thirty-one doctoral thesis related to the subject has been studied in fifteen years can be considered that such an important skill has been overshadowed by other subjects in graduate studies.
In Turkey, it is observed that graduate studies related to the education-training dimension of creativity have been conducted in a total of fifty-two higher education institutions since 2005. Gazi University, with its twenty thesis studies, has been the institution that does the most thesis studies on the relation between creativity and education. Again, in the studies conducted by many researchers on different subjects, Gazi University was found to be the university that produced the most thesis studies (Bahar & Kiras, 2017;Şahin, Göğebakan Yıldız & Duman, 2011;Oğuz Haçat & Demir, 2018;Dilek, Baysan & Öztürk, 2018;Oğuz Haçat & Demir, 2019). Günay's study in 2018 revealed that Gazi University ranked third in Turkey in the number of graduate students. This explains the reason why the university has top-ranked graduate studies in many different fields. Of course, the high numbers of creativity-education related thesis publications could also be explained with the interest of the faculty and students in the field. Gazi University was followed by Dokuz Eylül University with twelve graduate studies and Marmara University with nine graduate studies. Oğuz Haçat and Demir (2019), in their study of graduate theses on literacy in the field of education, examined the 1998-2019-time period. The researchers who covered a wide period reached a total of 308 graduate studies. This study also showed that the intensity was after 2005 and that graduate publications increased in the process similar to the current study. However, it can be said that the number of thesis publications on creativity is far behind compared to this subject.
In the part where graduate theses about creativity in education are dealt with according to the institutes in which they are published, it is observed that most studies are done at the institute of educational sciences. The institute of social sciences, the institute of science, and the institute of health sciences follow this. Almost all of the theses made under the umbrella of these institutes were produced in teacher-training departments. The fact that the educational studies performed at the institute of social sciences and the institute of natural and applied sciences was conducted in these institutes may be thought to be due to the absence of the institute of educational sciences in the universities in which they were studied during the period of their studies. Günay stated that the number of educational sciences institutes in Turkey according to statistics for 2018 is 43 and the total number of students is 35.763 (Günay, 2018). This data shows that educational science institutes have had a wide network and number of students in recent years.
In the distribution of theses, where creativity is combined with education, according to the disciplines, there is a wide range that attracts attention. It was seen that creativity in education was discussed and published as a graduate thesis in twenty-eight different areas. In addition to this wide range of disciplines, when one looks at the number of studies done in these fields, it is seen that several publications have been made in some disciplines and no studies have been done in some disciplines. This suggests that new studies can be conducted on this subject. When considered as a discipline, it is seen that most studies are conducted in science education, while classroom Education is second in the list and the list goes on. In the field of science education, the background and intensity of the studies related to creativity appear to be more dated, but it is observed that this skill has been specifically investigated in the field of science (Akcanca & Özsevgeç, 2016;Candar, 2009;Aktamış & Can, 2007;Demirci, 2007). In addition, Erdem also went into a categorization according to disciplines in his study, in which he examined theses on media literacy, which he published in 2018 (Erdem, 2018). The researcher stated that the studies he examined varied in disciplines in the field of education. However, in our current study, it is difficult to say that the field-thesis variety of creativity is sufficient.
When the method parts of theses on creativity in education are examined, it is observed that the number of studies using the quantitative method is quite high compared to the qualitative and mixed methods. The use of qualitative and mixed methods is close to each other. There are many similar studies carried out in different areas that reveal that quantitative studies are used more frequently (Akyol & Yavuzkurt, 2016;Erdem, 2018;Oğuz Haçat & Demir, 2019;Kahyaoğlu, 2016;Küçükoğlu & Ozan, 2013;Aydın, Selvitopu, & Kaya, 2018;Ahi & Kıldan, 2013;Alpaydın & Erol, 2017;Karadağ, 2009). In the quantitative part, scanning and experimental methods were used the most. Similar results are also included in Bahar and Kiras' study (2017). Studies that prefer qualitative methods have benefited from the case study and document review. The studies performed by the mixed method made more use of the nested pattern and the explanatory sequential pattern. This data indicates that one hundred and twenty-five studies were conducted with one type of research method, that research was not supported by different types of data, and that different methods were not used to cover each other's weaknesses. In order to eliminate this weakness, many researchers suggest that research should be carried out by the mixed method (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2015;Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004;Fırat, Kabakçı Yurdakul, & Ersoy, 2014).
When looking at the data collection tools of the research examined, it was observed in a significant part of the research used one type of data collection tool (44/145), most of the research used two types (66/145), some of them used three types (17/145) and four types are used rarely (6/145). In a few studies, no information has been found about data collection. Due to the fact that the quantitative method is more preferred in graduate theses on creativity, the use of scale is the preferred data collection tool in the first place. Qualitative studies, on the other hand, prefer the use of more forms, while the variety of data collection tools used in mixed methods varies. There are many studies that can be encountered with similar results (Kütükcü, 2017;Küçükoğlu & Ozan, 2013;Bahar & Kiras, 2017).
Researchers have been seen to use data collection tools that conform to the nature of their research. However, as a result of the research, it was concluded that one or two types of data collection tools were used in most of the studies examined. Collecting data with one or two data collection tools sometimes takes the opportunity to obtain rich and deep information out of the hands of researchers. In this context, it is necessary to verify the result as far as possible with several data collection tools. (Yin, 1984Cited in Subaşı & Okumuş, 2017Kılıç Tapu, 2017;Deveci & Deveci, 2018).
When the study groups/samplings of the graduate theses on creativity in our country are examined, it is seen that the participants are mostly composed of students. The most populous group after the students are the teachers. The number of studies that have been made a literature review and bringing different study groups together is very low. This shows that the graduate publications on creativity have failed to show richness and diversity in terms of the study group. In literature, publications in different areas and periods in which study groups are dealt with also attract attention (Aydın, Selvitopu & Kaya, 2018;Erdem, 2018;Oğuz Haçat & Demir, 2018;Oğuz Haçat & Demir, 2019).
In examined studies, the "random sampling method is the most prominent one among researchers' sampling format preferences. A similar result manifests itself in different field studies. and the result coincides with the current study (Aydın, Selvitopu&Kaya, 2018;Şara, Karadedeli &Hasanoğlu, 2016). In addition to this sampling method, many different and varied sampling methods are included in the research examined, however, the most interesting point is that almost one in three of the research studied did not mention the way of determining the method of sampling/study group. However, in graduate studies, the methods of sampling, whether purposeful or non-purposeful, isappropriate to the spirit of the research must be stated.
When we look at the details of the selected study groups in theses examined, it is seen that the most intensive level of education consists of secondary school students. A similar situation has been seen in several previous studies (Alver & Taştemir, 2017;Erdem, 2018;Oğuz Haçat & Demir, 2019). The idea that creativity skills are displayed more at this level of education may explain the fact that most data collected group consists of secondary school students (Kara & Akkaya, 2014). Following this level of education, it is observed that data is collected from various study groups at almost every level. However, the number of studies aimed at comparing different levels or collecting data together from different levels of education for the same research is very small. Collecting data from different education levels will allow researchers to look at the issue from a wider perspective. In addition, given that creativity is a skill that can be developed through practice and over time (Gartenhaus, 1997), measuring continuity (process) over a certain period can reveal a clearer picture. Of course, it will not be right to say the result is wrong, because the nature of some studies makes it possible to collect data from a single level of education.
In our analysis of what is the context of titles in which creativity is studied, we concluded that researches focus on certain concepts. A similar situation and intensity can be seen in the study in which Bahar & Kiras (2017) examined publications entitled environmental education. Another study, which concluded the similarity of topics in graduate studies, was published by Alver & Taştemir (2017). Considering that there are currently few graduate studies conducted on creativity, it can be said that certain titles are being circulated. Studying different aspects of creativity in the context of different titles will not only provide us with more detailed information about the skill of creativity but also with a number of facts about the skill, if any, that are still unknown.

Recommendation
Some recommendations can be made based on the results obtained from this study, in which the graduate thesis related to the subject of creativity is examined. The educational dimension of creativity needs to be further studied in all life-related areas. In order to bring new solutions to the ever-increasing problems of everyday life, new ideas and suggestions for solutions are needed. Creativity is a skill that is directly related to life and it should not be forgotten that more comfortable solutions could be brought to the problems encountered in current life in areas where creativity is important. Increasing the number of mixed-method researches in graduate studies, which are very few in number, will increase the number of publications with richer and deeper information. At this point, researchers are recommended further use of mixed method research in their graduate studies. In graduate research, it is recommended that researchers who will conduct research on abilities such as skill, etc. that progress through a specific process should collect data from different levels of education as well as from different levels of education and look at the process with a holistic approach.