Mekwatche Vivian F (1), Prof. Nji Roland A (2), Prof. Fai Lilian W (3)
This study investigated how Cultural Cognitive Strategies affect the Creativity of Bahouan children 8-11 years in the Hauts Plateaux Division in the West Region of Cameroon. The theories that inform this work are Jean Piaget’s cognitive development theory (1936), Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of human learning (1978), and the Mediated Mutual Reciprocity theory of Tchombe (2019). The objective of this paper is to examine the extent to which local language (Ghomala) affects the creativity of Bahouan children in the Haut Plateaux Division. The design used was a concurrent nested mixed methods design. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 302 children and a criterion-based purposive sampling technique was used to select 10 parents from all the seven quarters of Bahouan village who participated in the data collection process. The instruments used to collect data was questionnaire, observation checklist, and interview guide. Data was analysed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was analysed using Discourse analysis. Finding showed that there was a moderate positive relationship between local language and creativity among Bahouan children (P= 0.030, < 0.05). R-Square for the overall model is 0.002 which shows the children’s adjustment scheme and the estimated values of local language with an adjusted R of 0.002.
From the findings, it can be stated that local language plays a crucial role in stimulating and enhancing the creative capacities of children aged 8–11in Bahouan village. This strategy foster imagination, problem-solving, originality, and confidence, making culture a powerful driver of creativity in childhood development. Conclusively, this research enriches the understanding of creativity by providing empirical, African-based evidence that situates creative development within culturally mediated practices. It underscores the importance of recognizing local language and traditional cultural forms as powerful vehicles for nurturing imagination and innovation. This piece of work recommended that teachers should receive training on how to harness cultural cognitive strategies to nurture creativity. Also, professional development programs can focus on integrating local language, local games, storytelling and traditional music into pedagogy, as well as on fostering an inclusive environment where all children can participate confidently in creative activities. Moreso, educational policymakers should recognize the value of cultural cognitive strategies as vehicles for creativity.
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