Evaluating the Impacts of Destination ImagiNation on the Creative Problem-Solving Skills of Middle School Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Creativity in Teaching and Student Development

Abstract

As the development of 21st Century skills, or those associated with critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and innovation, receives increased attention, research designed to measure the impacts of creativity enhancement programs that teach these skills becomes important. To examine the impacts of one such program, Destination ImagiNation (DI), on skills associated with problem solving, divergent thinking, critical thinking, and teamwork, a group of middle school students who participated in DI during 2009-2010 was compared on multiple measures of creative problem solving to a group of comparable students who had not participated in DI. DI participants had statistically significant higher divergent/critical thinking, creative problem solving, and teamwork scores than non-DI participants. Surveys of DI stakeholders support high program satisfaction in all areas.

Authors

• Tracy Christine Missett, Marshall University

• Carolyn M. Callahan, University of Virginia