The adequacy of certain creative class methodologies in selected Texas industrial arts teacher training institutions

Abstract

The research objective was to determine the adequacy to which industrial educational practices at the college level encourage the fulfillment of a major professional objective-the stimulation and development of creative abilities. To evaluate achievement of the objective (1) an instrument (the Creative Expression Scale, CES) was developed to assess developmental opportunities for creativity within college classrooms, (2) a standard (Criterion Ratings) for creative expression in industrial education was established, (3) the in-class creative atmosphere (status Ratings) was identified, and (4) statistical analyses of the differences between criterion and status values were calculated. The CES was developed by (1) abstracting common methodologies conducive to creative development from the literature reviewed and (2) verifying content validity by submitting the CES to two juries for criticism and applying the Scale to a pilot study. The standard, or control, was established by submitting the CES to 37 industrial educators, geographically dispersed throughout the nation. These experts were asked to indicate the minimum acceptable level of performance for each of the 32 CES items. Mean ratings, derived from the 29 responses received, constituted the Criterion Ratings. Status Ratings were established from the 749 student responses to the CES. These ratings were extracted from 48 classes and 5 universities in Texas. The analysis of differences between criterion and status ratings was accomplished through the use of Dunnet's procedure whereby a series of treatment means could be compared to one control or standard.