Stimulating Children's Creativity and Curiosity: Does Content and Medium Matter?

Abstract

Effects of print, television and content on children's creativity, and measures of possibility and curiosity were examined. Eight science TV programs were identified as low or high creative and eight illustrated booklets were developed to mirror the programs' content. Fifth and sixth on‐grade‐level‐readers were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: High Content TV, Low Content TV, High Content Print or Low Content Print. Students then completed the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, The Possibilities Index and The Children's Science Curiosity Scale. Low Content significantly outscored High Content on Visual Originality and High Content significantly outscored Low Content on measures of possibility and curiosity. Results suggest content has more effect on creativity and attitude than media.

The Interactive Influences of Three Ecological Systems on R & D Employees' Technological Creativity

“…Creativity Research Journal Y.-C. Yeh In brief, the findings in this study support the notion that a mature individual's creativity is built upon her or his knowledge, dispositions, and skills; and that such individualities are greatly influenced by family atmosphere (e.g., Michel & Dudek, 1991;Olszewski et al, 1987;Simonton, 2000;Walberg, 1988), school experiences (e.g., Cropley, 1997;Fleith, 2000;Rubenstein, 2000;Safer, 1995;Soh, 2000), and organizational environment (e.g., Amabile, 1996;Eunice, De Alencar, & De Fatima Bruno-Faria, 1997;Oldham & Cummings, 1996).…”

“…The SEM analyses suggest that personal characteristics represent the most crucial, direct resource for R & D employees' creative performance and that family and school experiences greatly influence technology creativity after first shaping employees' personal characteristics. Though a completely supportive family and school environment are not necessary for the development of extreme creativity, they do contribute to everyday creativity (Cropley, 1997;Fleith, 2000;Rubenstein, 2000;Soh, 2000). The experiences in early childhood carry great effects on people's development of creativity (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).…”

“…Teaching content, however, must be viewed within the complex set of variables that contribute to creativity. Rubenstein (2000) has found that mildly creative content for creative production and highly creative content for expanded thinking are better for the development of creativity.…”

“…The literature review (Cropley, 1997;Dudek, Strobel, & Runco, 1993;Fleith, 2000;Marjoribanks, 1992;Rubenstein, 2000;Safer, 1995;Soh, 2000;Tan, 2001) and empirical findings (Yeh, 1999(Yeh, , 2000 have helped me to ascertain that the following factors have positive effects on technological creativity: (a) teachers are supportive of students ideas and encourage their creative performance; (b) the school provides opportunities for creative performance, such as competitions, social clubs, and study clubs; (c) the curriculum provokes and improves creative thinking; and (d) the school environment is free and open. Such factors, of course, make up the other subsystems in the mesosystem-the school, in this study.…”

Science curiosity in learning environments: developing an attitudinal scale for research in schools, homes, museums, and the community

“…Given the lack of curiosity measures for children, the Children's Science Curiosity Scale is in current use (e.g. Baxter, 1989;Gennaro & Lawrenz, 1992;Rubenstein, 2000;Sharp & Kuerbis, 2006;Ting & Siew, 2014), even though the critiques of what exactly the scale measures still have not been resolved.…”