Date of Award
12-1980
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Educational Leadership, Research and Technology
First Advisor
Dr. Mary A. Cain
Second Advisor
Dr. Dorothy Bladt
Third Advisor
Dr. Rachel Inselberg
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Visual and verbal techniques derived from Wallach and Kogan’s test of creative thinking abilities (1965) were administered to fifty-seven Title I kindergarten children from four different kindergarten settings in an attempt to assess the impact of open versus non-open situations on children's creativity. Classroom populations were similar socioeconomically, racially, and with regard to the student-teacher ratio. Kindergartens were chosen in order to test young children not influenced by other school situations. The degree of classroom openness was determined using Evans' Classroom Rating Scale (1971).
Creativity scores varied positively with the degree of classroom openness. Differences among the mean scores of the four groups were significant at less than the .01 level on seven of eight measures of creative thought. No significant difference was found for sex or race.
This study supports the contention that open classrooms are more conducive than are non-open classrooms for nurturing creative behavior in kindergarten children.
Recommended Citation
Lewis, Susan Spelman, "A Study of the Varying Degrees of Creativity Manifested by Kindergarten Children from Open or Traditional Classrooms" (1980). Masters Theses. 1890.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1890