Abstract:

Introduction: Creativity, initiative and common sense are personal characteristics which are useful for everyone, both in work and in daily life (Uribe, Valenciano & Bonilla, 2013). Happiness is learned and has positive effects on personal and social development, but also on the student’s performance. It broadens the intellectual processes and facilitates creative thinking (Amabile, 2011; Isen, 2004). Teaching happiness is educate in health and well-being, conditions to overcome some learning difficulties and for was significant. The communication presented is framed within the programs that studied positive emotions and creativity as drivers of human behavior within the educational context, and programs that choose happiness as an element that enhances creativity, educational performance and the personal and social well-being of the people. Objective: To know the levels of happiness and creativity of university students and how it can be influenced by an educational intervention to work the emotions in the classroom. Method: A quasi-experimental design was used, with a non-equivalent control group (Cook & Campbell, 1986). The sample consisted of 162 students of different university degrees, aged between 18 and 45 years of age. Instruments: The subjective happiness scale of Lyubomirsky & Lepper (1999) and the Creative Intelligence test of Corbalán et al. (2003). Results: The students who worked with positive emotions integrated within the specific contents of the subjects studied and with a methodology that fostered their creativity, showed more level of happiness and creativity than the other who studied within an ordinary methodology. Discussion: The society demands happy, creative and entrepreneurial professionals that lead educational and social change processes. Creativity and optimism are facilitators of academic performance and incorporation into the working market. It is recommended the design and implementation of emotional, creative and inclusive education programs in the university area that improve the professional skills of our students and contribute to their personal and social development.

Keywords:

Happiness, social and emotional learning, creativity method, Higher Education, 21st century skills.