<![CDATA[Abstract Cultivating creative thinking among vocational secondary school students represents a persistent pedagogical challenge, particularly when science learning remains disconnected from students' technical specialisation. Prior to this intervention, Grade X Computer and Network Engineering (TKJ) students at SMKN 5 Bulukumba demonstrated suboptimal creativity scores (M = 68.11; SD = 5.83), attributable to the fragmented delivery of Natural and Social Science (IPAS) content that lacked meaningful integration with vocational competencies. Drawing on constructivist and contextual learning principles, this classroom action research (CAR) investigated whether a Project Based Learning (PjBL) model anchored in the recycling of laboratory-generated electronic waste (e-waste) could systematically elevate student creativity. Twenty-six participants completed two structured action cycles, each comprising planning, action, observation, and critical reflection phases. Creativity was assessed through a validated pre-project observation checklist and a post-project rubric spanning four dimensions—fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration—complemented by a student response questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and normalised N-gain analysis were employed to quantify learning progression. Mean creativity scores rose markedly from Cycle I (M = 68.11) to Cycle II (M = 83.88), producing an N-gain of 0.49 (moderate category). The proportion of students achieving the Good creativity threshold (score ≥ 75) reached 88.46%, while 84.62% expressed favourable views of the instructional model. Standard deviation declined from 5.83 to 2.52, demonstrating that the intervention not only raised average performance but also narrowed inter-student disparity. Collectively, these outcomes affirm that embedding chemistry concepts within authentic, discipline-relevant projects constitutes a viable and scalable strategy for nurturing vocational students' creative capacities.]]>
