Effects of Creativity-Enhanced Tasks on Middle School Students’ English Performance and Creativity

Effects of Creativity-Enhanced Tasks on Middle School Students’ English Performance and Creativity

This study aimed to examine the effects of creativity-enhanced tasks on middle school students’ English performance, creativity development, and perceptions of creativity and affective factors including motivation and attitudes toward English learning. The participants were 49 middle school students in Seoul, Korea. The experimental group was treated with creativity-enhanced tasks whereas the control group received traditional English instruction. The overall study was carried out for fourteen weeks. The main findings are summarized as the following. First, there were no significant differences found between the experimental and the control group in terms of language performance. Second, the experimental group indicated substantial improvement in creativity, especially regarding fluency and originality. Finally, the results revealed positive changes in students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and attitudes toward English learning. The findings of this study are expected to provide practical insights to English teachers and educators who hope to foster creativity in students by supporting a creativity-enhanced language classroom.