Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting
This study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Clemson University Press
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Youth Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/544 |
| _version_ | 1797333543827800064 |
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| author | Myles L. Lynch C. Boyd Hegarty Nate Trauntvein Jonathan A. Plucker |
| author_facet | Myles L. Lynch C. Boyd Hegarty Nate Trauntvein Jonathan A. Plucker |
| author_sort | Myles L. Lynch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand differences in camper scores. A total of 189 youth, 100 girls, 89 boys, between the ages of 9 and 14 years participated in the current study. Participants were administered a modified version of Guilford's (1967) alternate uses task, a measure of DT, in which respondents were asked questions such as name all of the uses for a brick or name all of the uses for a plate before the camp session started, and then again at the end of the two-week session. Results indicate overall mean significant increases in DT across all scoring methods of fluency, flexibility, and originality. Participants who self-selected one or more artistic activities (e.g., drama, arts and crafts, dance) had significant increases on the tasks as opposed to participants who did not select any artistic activities (e.g., basketball, baseball, archery). Finally, girls significantly increased across all scoring methods, whereas boys slightly increased in fluency and flexibility but not in originality. These results indicate residential summer camp may provide a creativity "benefit" for youth in attendance, especially those who participate in certain activities. Practitioners should use this study to understand their own programming in terms of creativity, activity offerings, and camp culture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:05:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-588ab95bdbf241aa86b17a0769f7a7c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2325-4017 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:05:30Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Clemson University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Youth Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-588ab95bdbf241aa86b17a0769f7a7c12024-02-02T10:52:44ZengClemson University PressJournal of Youth Development2325-40172018-04-01131-228630510.5195/jyd.2018.544487Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp SettingMyles L. Lynch0C. Boyd Hegarty1Nate Trauntvein2Jonathan A. Plucker3University of New HampshireIndependent Creativity ReseacherUniversity of New HampshireJohns Hopkins UniversityThis study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand differences in camper scores. A total of 189 youth, 100 girls, 89 boys, between the ages of 9 and 14 years participated in the current study. Participants were administered a modified version of Guilford's (1967) alternate uses task, a measure of DT, in which respondents were asked questions such as name all of the uses for a brick or name all of the uses for a plate before the camp session started, and then again at the end of the two-week session. Results indicate overall mean significant increases in DT across all scoring methods of fluency, flexibility, and originality. Participants who self-selected one or more artistic activities (e.g., drama, arts and crafts, dance) had significant increases on the tasks as opposed to participants who did not select any artistic activities (e.g., basketball, baseball, archery). Finally, girls significantly increased across all scoring methods, whereas boys slightly increased in fluency and flexibility but not in originality. These results indicate residential summer camp may provide a creativity "benefit" for youth in attendance, especially those who participate in certain activities. Practitioners should use this study to understand their own programming in terms of creativity, activity offerings, and camp culture.http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/544divergent thinkingcreativitysummer campactivity selection |
| spellingShingle | Myles L. Lynch C. Boyd Hegarty Nate Trauntvein Jonathan A. Plucker Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting Journal of Youth Development divergent thinking creativity summer camp activity selection |
| title | Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting |
| title_full | Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting |
| title_fullStr | Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting |
| title_short | Summer Camp as a Force for 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking and Activity Selection in a Residential Camp Setting |
| title_sort | summer camp as a force for 21st century learning exploring divergent thinking and activity selection in a residential camp setting |
| topic | divergent thinking creativity summer camp activity selection |
| url | http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/544 |
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