Creativity in the Journal Writings of Academically Able Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of certain creativity components in the cumulative writing samples of academically able students. Twenty-four fourth and fifth grade students who had written over either one or-two year time-spans participated in the study. Use of a researcher-designed instrument determined individual use and development, as well as illustrating group tendencies, in employing these components in their writing samples. Analysis revealed that generally, students in this program did not consistently demonstrate an increased use of fluency, flexibility and originality. Also students who had written over a two-year span demonstrated little observable growth in employing these components. Further examination of the use of each component yielded suggestions for enhancing these creativity components in writing.