CREATIVITY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ACROSS SCHOOL CATEGORIES AND GENDER

Creativity is a crucial cognitive skill that inspires innovation, problem-solving, and adaptability among students. This study aims to analyse and compare the creativity levels of secondary school students, focusing on gender and type of school (government vs. private). A descriptive survey method was used, for analyse and compare the creativity, a sample of 80 students from 9th class selected through random sampling (40 from government schools and 40 from private schools) Standardized tools, including a creativity test, was applied for data collection. Statistical methods mean, standard deviation, t-test, were applied. The results show a significant difference in creativity between government and private school students. Higher level of creativity observed in private school students. However, no notable gender differences were found within the similar type of school. These results highlight the requirement for educational reforms, mainly in government schools, to encourage creativity through practical learning, activity-based instruction, and improved learning environments.