Students Creativity and Their Academic Performances in Science Subjects: Implications for Educational Evaluation (Published)
This study carefully examined the influence of students’ creativity on their academic performances in SSII science subjects. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Four (4) research questions and four (4) hypotheses guided the study. Sample sizes of 1000 students were drawn from the 24 senior secondary schools in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State using the simple random sampling technique. The self-constructed questionnaires and the standardized promotion results in science subjects generated date for the study. Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC) was used to answer the research questions while the transformed scores into t-test statistics were used to test the hypotheses at 5% probability level. The results obtained showed that students creativity significantly influence their academic performances in science subjects. Consequently, the following are recommended; creative teaching methods and government to provide some remuneration to teachers with creative teaching abilities among others.
Keywords: Creativity, science and students’ academic performance.
The Effect of Surveillance and Evaluation Expectation on the Creativity of Primary School Pupils (Published)
Creativity seems to be one of the determinants of perpetuation of species. Humans need to invent creative ways for dealing with the challenges of surviving in a continuously evolving planet. Creativity also has great implications for a nation’s development. Nurturing and enhancing creativity is a major concern for educators. This study focusses on finding the effect of surveillance and Evaluation, two factors identified as killers of creativity; on the creativity of primary school pupils. Piaget’s theory of creativity and Vygotsky’s theory of creativity were used to explain the possible relationships in the study. The research design is the post-test control group quasi experimental design. Thirty-five children from two intact classes were purposively selected for the study. Four research questions were asked and two hypothesis formulated for the study. Data was collected from creative arts classwork of the pupils and analysed using the Independent population t-test. Results revealed a significant effect of both surveillance and evaluation expectation on the creativity of primary school pupils. Recommendations were made.
Keywords: Creativity, Evaluation, Innovation, Self-reliance, Surveillance
Guidance and Counselling: A Creativity for Promoting Sustainable Well Being and Adjustment of Secondary School Students in Nigeria. (Published)
The Nigerian education system adopted guidance and counselling as a school service programme meant to promote well being and optimal adjustment of learners. Its scope covers all aspects that enhance student’s excellent academic performances, preparation for and adaptations into vocations, and abilities meant for use in resolving personal, social and psychological problems. It emphasizes self direction and clear definition of purpose meant to actualize life skills for growth and development of learners in and out of school. Its importance in schools cannot therefore be over emphasized. It follows therefore that among other counselling techniques used in group dynamism, peer group counselling technique appears to among others, be good modalities for championing the means of creating the sustainable students’ well being and adjustment. Guidance and counselling should therefore be supported to cater accordingly for the stated purpose.
Keywords: Counselling, Creativity, Guidance, Students, wellbeing and Adjustment
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THE IMAGINATIVE AND CREATIVE COMPETENCE OF STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS (Published)
Recognizing the several roles that education can play in turning a country around had prompted the Nigerian nation to change from the system of education that was bequeathed to her by the British colonialist into an education system that was believed, could move the country forward and accelerate a rapid growth and development. The Nigerian nation needed a system of education that could favorably compete with its developing counterparts in the area of science and technology, good governance and in socio-economic advancement; a system that could create a national consciousness in the citizens and a holistic development in all spheres of life. There was the need to have an education system that is result-focused and development-driven.With this challenge, it became binding and fundamental to design an education system that could transform the Nigerian nation in all respects and a system of education that is capable of building a sound and virile society for the Nigerian nation state. It was the general belief therefore, that the 6-3-3-4 system of education could make a dramatic and the desired change that the nation had long aspired to have. The system has taken more than a period of three decades now in practice, it is not too early nor out of purview to assess the product or take stock of its successes, failures, strengths and weaknesses. It is with this in view, that this paper has tried to look at one of the cardinal components of the New National Policy on Education, its functionality, how much it has impacted or challenged the imaginative and the creative competence of the Nigerian child especially at the secondary school level and how much it has transformed the beneficiaries of the system and the entire sectorial life of the Nigerian nation. In doing this, the paper has tried to look at few of the core techniques of teaching that are used often by teachers and how the traditional teaching techniques could be assisted to provoke the latent imaginative and the creative ability of the child by teachers in our secondary schools so as to achieve the goals that were set for the 6-3-3-4 system of education. To address this impasse, the study has stressed how the traditional teaching techniques could be fostered and be better strengthened through the use of strategies that could help to transform theories and practices learnt by students in the classroom to functional assets. In addition, how the strategies could synchronize with the existing teaching techniques to make a change in secondary school teaching and make learning easier was given a pertinent consideration. Recognizing the preponderance of the challenges foisted on our education system, some recommendations were made to the relevant bodies that oversee the running of education in Nigeria and, to those who are suppose to complement the efforts of those vested with the responsibility of managing the education industry in Nigeria
Keywords: Creativity, Imaginative competence, Innovation, Self-actualization, Self-improvement, Self-realization
A Review of the Inquiry of Creativity in Older Adults in Journals (Published)
Everyone possesses creativity and this ability is a normal distribution. However, most creativity researchers select eminent scientists or artists. In addition, in the education literature, creativity research focuses more on children or adolescents (especially college students) rather than older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the intellectual perceptions of creativity in older adults found in scholarly journals. This review attempted to sort out the assumptions underlying the portrayal of older adults and their relationship with creativity in scholarly journals from 1980 to 2012. After reviewing 56 journal articles, two themes emerged: the optimistic view of older adult lives and the need for creativity for successful aging. There is a call from not only educators but also policy makers to invest more funds and energy to promote creativity for (older) adult learners.
Keywords: Adult Education, Creativity, Literature Review, Older Adults