EFFECT OF SCHOOL-BASED CULTURAL FESTIVALS ON STUDENTS’ ARTISTIC CREATIVITY AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA

Authors: Adeyemo Eniola Abioye PhD, Ajayi Noah Oluwasanjo PhD & Bodunrin Abiodun Motunrayo

ABSTRACT

This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of a school based cultural festival intervention on artistic creativity and social integration among secondary school students in Southwest Nigeria. A total of 412 students aged 13 to 18 years from six schools were assigned to either a five-day festival intervention (three schools, n = 207) or a wait list control condition (three schools, n = 205). Artistic creativity was assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking Figural, and social integration was measured through peer nomination sociometric analysis and a self-report scale at pretest, posttest, and three month follow up. Analysis of covariance revealed that intervention participants scored significantly higher than controls on creativity originality (Cohen’s d = 0.62, p < .001), fluency (d = 0.48, p = .003), and elaboration (d = 0.44, p = .007), with originality gains partially maintained at follow up. Social network analysis showed that the intervention significantly increased indegree centrality only for students with low baseline social status (mean change +1.64 nominations, p < .001), with no effect on high status students, while self-reported belonging showed only a small overall effect. School based cultural festivals can simultaneously enhance artistic creativity and promote equitable social integration for socially isolated adolescents in culturally rich educational contexts.

Keywords: Artistic creativity, cultural festivals, school-based, secondary schools, social integration

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