The Effect of “Lecture-Pairing” Extracurricular Program on University Students’ Creative Competency

Objective: This study aimed to implement a lecture-pairing extracurricular program for university students and examine its impact on creative competency. Additionally, it sought to examine qualitative differences in creative output depending on students’ levels of creative competency. Methods: Participants comprised 30 students in the experimental group, who experienced the lecture-pairing program during the first semester of the 2024 academic year, and 30 students in the control group. A pre-test and post-test experimental design was employed to measure creative thinking, personality, and self-efficacy, followed by covariance analysis. Additionally, a multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the differences in output by dividing the experimental group into high and low levels of creative thinking, personality, and self-efficacy. Results: A significant effect on creative thinking was found in the creative capabilities of students who participated in the lecture-pairing program; however, no significant impact was found on creative personality. The program was also effective in developing creative self-efficacy. Among the levels of creative competency, there were significant differences in some output factors depending on the level of creative thinking, and no significant differences associated with the level of creative personality. Regarding the level of creative self-efficacy, significant differences were observed in all factors except originality. Conclusions: The lecture-pairing extracurricular program was found to effect learners' creative thinking and self-efficacy; however, its effectiveness in fostering creative personality traits was limited. Therefore, the program's content requires revision to include elements promoting creative attitudes, along with higher instructional time. Since qualitative differences were observed in learners with high creative thinking abilities and self-efficacy, university students' creative competency must be enhanced through activities that require innovation.