Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Abstract

Creativity has been a valuable an essential element in advancing development in the 21st century. Children within 6 – 13 years old are curious, active, and engage in play as well as other activities where they exhibit their talents, sense of industry and creativity. During this period, the adults, care givers and educators around the child have the responsibility to identify such talents, interest and skills the children possess and direct them towards befitting learning and career opportunities that suits them. Unfortunately this has been overlooked in most African and Cameroonian communities. Now our days, children are hardly even given the opportunity or freedom to engage in craft. Besides, the awareness and value of the skills children gain from engaging in craft seem to be lacking. This paper thus aims at exploring elements of creativity in 6-13 years-old rural and urban
Meta children’s engagement in craft. Apart from this, it compares the creative dispositions exhibited by rural and urban Meta children’s engagement in craft. The sequential explanatory design was used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data through an observation check list and an interview guide from a sample of 40 6 – 13 years old Meta children purposively drawn from some Meta villages and neighbourhoods in an urban area. Thematic content analysis together with descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that Meta children exhibit creative skills as they engage in craft. Comparatively, children in the rural area
exhibited more creative skill in craft than those in the urban area. Children should thus be encouraged to engage in craft as it develops their creativity.

Full text

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Corresponding author: Email: ijang.bihngyah@ubuea.cm;
Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies
12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
ISSN: 2581-6268
Engagement in Craft and the Development of
Creative Skills among 6 – 13 Years Old Children
Ijang Bih Ngyah-Etchutambe
1*
1
Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Buea, Cameroon.
Author’s contribution
The sole author designed, analysed, interpreted and prepared the manuscript.
Article Information
DOI: 10.9734/AJESS/2020/v12i330311
Editor(s):
(1) Dr. Bashar H. Malkawi, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Reviewers:
(1) Dr. Preeti Mishra, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India.
(2)
Prof. Josphert kImatu, South Eastern Kenya University, Kenya.
Complete Peer review History:
http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/62404
Received 15 August 2020
Accepted 20 October 2020
Published 09 November 2020
ABSTRACT
Creativity has been a valuable an essential element in advancing development in the 21
st
century.
Children within 6 – 13 years old are curious, active, and engage in play as well as other activities
where they exhibit their talents, sense of industry and creativity. During this period, the adults, care
givers and educators around the child have the responsibility to identify such talents, interest and
skills the children possess and direct them towards befitting learning and career opportunities that
suits them. Unfortunately this has been overlooked in most African and Cameroonian communities.
Now our days, children are hardly even given the opportunity or freedom to engage in craft.
Besides, the awareness and value of the skills children gain from engaging in craft seem to be
lacking. This paper thus aims at exploring elements of creativity in 6-13 years-old rural and urban
Meta children’s engagement in craft. Apart from this, it compares the creative dispositions
exhibited by rural and urban Meta children’s engagement in craft. The sequential explanatory
design was used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data through an observation check list
and an interview guide from a sample of 40 6 – 13 years old Meta children purposively drawn from
some Meta villages and neighbourhoods in an urban area. Thematic content analysis together with
descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that Meta
children exhibit creative skills as they engage in craft. Comparatively, children in the rural area
exhibited more creative skill in craft than those in the urban area. Children should thus be
encouraged to engage in craft as it develops their creativity.
Original Research Article

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
10
Keywords: Craft; creativity; creative skills; 6 -13 years old children.
1. INTRODUCTION
Children are usually born with a natural desire to
understand the world [1] states this clearly when
he says a child’s mind at birth is a “tabular rasa”
– blank slate ready and eager to be filled with
knowledge from the environment. The innate
predisposed curiosity in humans from birth spurs
creativity. However, the degree to which such
dispositions can enhance the development of
creative skills in children is dependent on
stimulating the environment in which the children
live. It is interesting to note that most of the
people who invented the first set of crude
engines, such as the steam hammer, the power
loom, and the spinning jenny during the Industrial
Revolution were not doctors of philosophy in any
branch of institutional learning, or heroes of first
rate organizations. Rather, these were people
whose common sense developed with their
interest in their environment and what went on
within it [2]. Acknowledging the keen creativity of
the African child with a focus on their
environment for the purposes of development
and not on the frills of theoretical knowledge
which makes them strangers in their own home
will therefore enhance achievement. Such
situation can be a fertile ground to nurture
creative dispositions in young minds and foster
development in due course.
It is commonplace to see children in the
Cameroonian context engage in activities such
as craft in which one can identify their creativity.
It is also commonplace to see the children try to
emulate what their parents do like weaving bags,
baskets, making chairs, brooms out of bamboo
and palm tree leaves. Some do produce toy cars
as well as construct small houses out of bamboo
and sticks. Meta children are also known for
creating play objects such as improvised balls
from plantain leaves. Meta is a clan located in
the North West Region of Cameroon at about
35km to the North West of Bamenda, the
regional headquarters. Clan as used here refers
to the conglomeration of 29 contiguous Meta
villages that share one language and ancestry.
Meta people are involved in the production of
handicrafts, particularly raffia bags (produced by
men), baskets (produced by women) and brooms
(produced by children). Meta children are
children from this community.
Creative dispositions exhibited by children can
be easily identified through careful observation in
the course of their engagement in craft. Creativity
is doing things in a way that is novel and
effective in achieving required goals [3]. Being
creative within the context of this write up is
about how children respond in a variety of ways
to what they see, smell, hear, touch or feel and
how as a result of these experiences, they
express and communicate such experiences in
their own thoughts, feelings and activities.
Creative children are those who would have a
large number of ideas or solutions to problems,
are often concerned with adapting, improving
and modifying existing ideas, thoughts or
products of others and do not fear being
different. Creative skills here is looked at in
terms of the ability for children to exhibit a sense
of imagination, their ability to develop new and
original ideas or things, think divergently, adapt
to the environment and do the extraordinary or
uncommon things as they engage in craft. Craft
is the making of things by children with their
hands. A society that observes, identifies, and
promotes creative skills in its children, builds a
future state of self reliance, independence and
economic growth. This paper x-rays 6-13 years
old children’s engagement in craft and how they
develop creative skills in the process. It begins
with a review of literature on the subject, the
statement of the problem, objectives,
methodology, findings and discussion.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Craft and Creative Skills
Some philosophers’ perceived craft as something
of value and an important educational tool that
builds the character of a child, encourage moral
behaviour, greater intelligence and
industriousness. Comenius (1633/1986) for
instance highlights the importance of a child’s
use of tools in making precise copies of artefacts
in the traditional way, starting with simple familial
things to the child’s learning and skill mastery.
Similarly, Locke (1632-1704) advocated for an
education that prepares individuals for practical
life through instruction in manual work and
mechanical trades [4]. He argued that craft is
healthy for the mind and important in order to
give the body enough physical movement [4].
Aristotle [5] creates a strong link between craft
and virtue. To Aristotle [5], ‘a craft product, when
well designed and produced by a good
craftsman, is not merely useful, but also has
such elements as balance, proportion and

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
11
harmony.’ Aristotle [5] uncovers the deep
satisfaction that emerges from making things and
sees it as an integral part of human intelligence.
The Greeks referred to craft as ‘techne’ that can
be translated as craftsmanship which is
construed as knowledge, experience and applied
skill in doing what is necessary [5]. Pestalozzi
(1746-1827) is known as the father of
pedagogical craft or manual training [4]. He
expanded on Rousseau’s philosophy which had
appeared in Emile and named his ideas a
"vocational alphabet” (A B C des Könnens) [4].
To Pestalozzi, schooling which emphasized only
one side of education, either vocational or
general, would create an individual of little value
to society [6]. Pestalozzi divided the human
character into three main entities; the intellectual
or the head concerned with mental functions that
lead a person to a realization of the world and to
a reasonable judgement of things requiring
perception, memory, imagination, thought and
language; the moral or the heart primarily
involved with the basic moral feelings of love,
faith, trust, thankfulness and secondarily the
activity of the conscience, the sense of good and
bad and the orientation towards moral values
and the physical or the hand . The term 'hand'
was parallel to 'craft education', ‘vocational
education’, or ‘education for work’. The intention
was that practical activity combined with dexterity
and physical strength developed common sense
and encouraged the determination that one’s
actions should culminate in fruitful labour [7].
Every artistic ability to Pestalozzi as sighted in [4]
is connected with intellectual and moral
powers thus necessary to be embedded in the
education of children. Froebel (1782-1852),
developed the idea that children are inherently
creative and better express themselves through
action [8]. Froebel saw handwork as something
that lies at the centre of all learning [9].
According to Shevda [10] craftsmanship is one of
the few skills acquired directly from one’s
immediate environment. The existence of the
surrounding natural materials such as stone,
wood, metal, clay, cotton, cane and bamboo, silk,
is the impetus of most traditional crafts. The
environment in which a child lives thus influences
a child’s engagement in craft and the degree to
which they will develop creative skills in the
process. The creative skills exhibited in the
course of engaging in craft involves novelty,
utility, imagination and divergent thinking. This
stems partially from [11] and [12] perspective that
novelty (originality) and utility (usefulness) are
the criteria to judge a creative product. With
regards to imagination, [13] argues that it serves
as an impetus for all human creative activities
and builds from materials supplied by reality.
Vygotsky [13] also highlighted the importance of
context in imagination as he mentioned that
every inventor is a product of his time and
environment. Also, divergent thinking is closely
related to creativity [14] and a major element in
creativity [15] as well.
2.2 Theoretical Orientation
Characteristics of children between 6 - 13 years
old have been described by Erickson and
Nsamenang. Erickson [16] argues that children
within this age bracket experience industry
versus inferiority. The child develops the urge to
enter the larger world of knowledge and work
and learns to win recognition by producing things
[16]. Children who do well and are recognized for
their achievements develop a sense of success
(industry) and master the basic skills required in
society while the reverse is a general feeling of
inferiority, uselessness and futility [16]. It is thus
essential for parents and caregivers to
encourage children’s creative dispositions so as
to develop a sense of industry and not inferiority.
Nsamenang [17] places such children at the
stages of social apprentice and social entrée.
Children at the social ontogenic stage of social
apprentice (childhood) have the developmental
task to recognize, cognize social roles,
acknowledge self in connectedness as well as
engage in peer group interaction and work.
Children in the social entrée (puberty) stage do
recognize and adjust to changes, perform
domestic chores and do participate in rites of
passage if there is any [17]. The developmental
task to recognize, cognize social roles vary for
different cultures. This task for Meta children is
based on children mastering craft in making
things like baskets, chairs, brooms; being able to
work on the farm, care for younger siblings and
do house hold chores. The children are expected
to develop mastery of the different task they
engage in but the awareness and value of the
creative skills they develop in the process seem
to be lacking.
The physical and social setting in which a child
lives and the culturally regulated customs of child
care and child rearing to [18] influences the
development of creative skills. Children in rural
areas for example not exposed to readymade
play objects are more likely to imagine and
originate their own play tools from the common
materials they have in their environment.

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
12
According to Supper & Harkness [18], the
physical and social setting in which a child lives
is not only important in shaping the child's
creativity through the kinds of activities
available, but also through the defining activities
of other people present. The identity and
relationship of the others are, of course, part of
the setting itself. Similarly, the identity and
activities of the caretakers are influential; for they
determine the degree of playful interaction [18].
The commonly practiced activities of parents
and others around children’s environment
determine the nature of the creative activities
the children would be engaged in. Craft
especially in basketry, bamboo works and
broom making commonly practiced among Meta
people is evident in their children’s creative
activities.
2.3 Empirical Review
An exhibition on African children’s toys held by
the UNESCO Section for Crafts and Design from
26 March to 6 April 2006 demonstrated the great
creativity of the African craft workers and
children. Children made toys to play with and
entertain themselves [19]. Boys from the
exhibition showed more interest in physical
activities linked to speed, dexterity technology
and movement. They thus made toys that were
models of bicycles, motorbikes, aeroplanes,
boats and particularly cars. Some play tool
created by boys in some African countries that
were exhibited at the UNESCO exhibition of
children’s craft cars, houses, ships and
aeroplanes as illustrated below.
African children know how to choose materials
suitable for the types of toys they are making.
Thin wires and steel bars for the axles, bottle
tops for wheels, tin cans for the wheels of heavy
vehicles, strips of metal for the rims. Children
then add cloth or used inner tubes, which
they cut into strips and use as ligatures,
axle stops and tyres. Reports from Jean-Pierrer’s
[20] field study on children’s creativity in toys
and play in Morocco revealed that Ghrib
boys extensively used waste material in
making a cart pulled by a mule of stone or
bicycles. For one type of bicycle wheel they used
about 20 sardine tins fixed around a tomato tin
[20].
Girls on the other hand love to make different
articles using their creativity from the simple
materials available at home. Craft is
unquestionably a girls' domain and they are
happy doing it [21]. Dolls dominate girls creative
play tools. The girl child might use the doll to
symbolise a baby, a mother, even herself or
some other person, child or adult, real or
imaginary [19]. A girl who helps her mother in the
kitchen, garden, laundry or at store is getting
richer play material than the girl with the room
filled with dolls [22]. Results from Jean-Pierre’s
1992 field study on children’s creativity in toys
and play among the Ghrib of Morocco held that
Ghrib girls from the Tunisian Sahara used wet
sand, little branches and reed to make
dollhouses whereby rags figure the carpet. They
also used different kinds of natural material, such
as sticks, reed, goat's or girl's hair when making
their dolls [20].
Preto’s [23] study on a comparison between
children’s toys in Urban and rural areas found
that most children in the cities had readymade
toys while those in the rural areas did not have
access to such so they made theirs from the
available materials they had in their setting. After
conducting interviews on 9 children and 9
mothers in both the rural and urban settings to
obtain information on what the children used in
playing, their most preferred toys, if the toys were
handmade, who makes the toys for them and if
they changed things on these toys, he came up
with the following findings. City children owned
much more toys than village children, and they
vary in type too. City children have dolls,
Barbie's, miniature kitchen goods, modern
heroes (ninja, batman, Luke sky walker),
electronic vehicles, computer games and play
stations. Most of them (80%) don't remember
how many toys they have but after being
asked if they own the toys by the interviewer,
they replied as they owned all of them but it's
hard to remember all. On the contrary, village
children remember (100%) how many toys they
have and it is around 7-20 in an average of 11
toys for a child. They have dolls but not
Barbie's, one of them have an imitation of it.
They have balls, plastic dolls, kitchen goods,
and non-electronic vehicles. None of them
have computer games and play station.
None of the city children had handmade
toys while some of the village children (3 out of
9) had [23]. The issue of originality and
imagination that emerges in the course of
creating play tools will seemingly be higher
amongst children in the rural areas not too
exposed to readymade toys unlike the city
dwellers that are more exposed and own the
readymade toys.

Fig. 1. Craft objects made by boys in congo Fig. 2. Craft objects made by boys in niger
Source: UNESCO 26
th
March to 6
2.4 State of the Problem
Whether Meta childre
n demonstrate any creative
dispositions is an empirical question. The
suspicion is that Meta children, like children
elsewhere, do exhibit creative skills in several
spheres of childhood life, with particular
reference to African childhood roles such as pl
and making crafts. The tendency is that Africans
in general and Meta people in particular overlook
these creative skills and do not see their
importance or relevance to the growth and
development of children. Cameroonian schools
typically focus on the a
cquisition of theoretical
knowledge in imitation of the Western school
curricula of old. It neglects the development of
natural creative skills in children. In the past,
creativity was encouraged in school through
handwork as one of the school subjects whe
children were expected to create and produce
items of interest to them, which were supervised
and assessed by teachers and the best ones
were sold. The sad story is that children are no
longer encouraged to do handwork as most
schools instead request pu
pils to give money in
lieu of doing handwork.
The foregoing concerns prompted the present
study to explore children’s engagement in craft
with the aim of identifying those creative skills
Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020
; Article no.
13
Fig. 1. Craft objects made by boys in congo Fig. 2. Craft objects made by boys in niger
March to 6
th
April 2006 exhibition of African children’s craft works
n demonstrate any creative
dispositions is an empirical question. The
suspicion is that Meta children, like children
elsewhere, do exhibit creative skills in several
spheres of childhood life, with particular
reference to African childhood roles such as pl
ay
and making crafts. The tendency is that Africans
in general and Meta people in particular overlook
these creative skills and do not see their
importance or relevance to the growth and
development of children. Cameroonian schools
cquisition of theoretical
knowledge in imitation of the Western school
curricula of old. It neglects the development of
natural creative skills in children. In the past,
creativity was encouraged in school through
handwork as one of the school subjects whe
re
children were expected to create and produce
items of interest to them, which were supervised
and assessed by teachers and the best ones
were sold. The sad story is that children are no
longer encouraged to do handwork as most
pils to give money in
The foregoing concerns prompted the present
study to explore children’s engagement in craft
with the aim of identifying those creative skills
they exhibit as they participate in the activity. It is
also aimed at finding out if the creative skills
children exhibit in craft is influenced by
differences in locality that is for urban and rural
settings. In this regard, the urge to find answers
to t
he following research questions was
triggered.
o To what extent does 6-
13 years old
children’s engagement in craft develop
their creative skills?
o
Is there a significant difference in the
creative dispositions rural and urban
children exhibit in crafts?
3.
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
A sequential explanatory design was employed
to obtain data from a cross-
section of Meta
children aged 6 to 13 years in the ancestral Meta
land and the town of Bamenda in the North West
Region of Cameroon. It was sequential
explana
tory because some quantitative data was
first obtained from the children through an
observation check list and later qualitative data
was obtained from those same children through
an interview to get in-
depth information on some
of the issues observed. The
findings were later
on compared.
; Article no.
AJESS.62404
Fig. 1. Craft objects made by boys in congo Fig. 2. Craft objects made by boys in niger
April 2006 exhibition of African children’s craft works
they exhibit as they participate in the activity. It is
also aimed at finding out if the creative skills
children exhibit in craft is influenced by
differences in locality that is for urban and rural
settings. In this regard, the urge to find answers
he following research questions was
13 years old
children’s engagement in craft develop
Is there a significant difference in the
creative dispositions rural and urban
METHODS AND PROCEDURES
A sequential explanatory design was employed
section of Meta
children aged 6 to 13 years in the ancestral Meta
land and the town of Bamenda in the North West
Region of Cameroon. It was sequential
tory because some quantitative data was
first obtained from the children through an
observation check list and later qualitative data
was obtained from those same children through
depth information on some
findings were later

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
14
3.1 Area of Study
The 29 contiguous villages comprising Meta, the
empirical referent of this study is located at the
South Western edge of the Bamenda Plateau in
the North West Region of Cameroon. Meta,
which covers an area of about 335 square
kilometres, has an average elevation of 1,800
meters [24]. Within the geo-political context of
Cameroon, Meta is part of Momo Division. Meta
occupies three upland valleys of the south
western edge of the Bamenda plateau commonly
called the Bamenda “Grass field”. The floors and
lower slopes of these valleys are forested with a
mixture of natural trees such as raffia, kola, oil
palm, and plantain. These natural resources
justify the kinds of craft (bamboo works, bags,
baskets and brooms made out of raffia and palm
trees) the people engage in. Bamenda is the
capital of the North West one Cameroon’s 10
Regions. The settlement pattern in Meta is
characterized by dispersed compounds or
homesteads, with each having its own
surrounding farms and gardens [25].
3.2 Population and Sample
The latest estimate place the population of Meta
at about 80,000 [26]. The universe for the survey
included all Meta children, aged 6 -13 years in
selected Meta villages and Bamenda at the time
of the study. However, a sample of 40 Meta
children were drawn purposively for the study.
Out the 40 children, 20 were selected from the
town of Bamenda and the other 20 from three
selected Meta villages. This sampling schema
was necessary to compare rural and urban Meta
children on the focal variables of the study. The
reason for purposive sampling was to identify
and work just with 6 – 13 years old Meta children
that were skilful in craft. Three villages
Mbemi, Nyen and Guneku out of the other 29
villages in Meta were purposively chosen to
select the 20 respondents from the rural area.
This choice was based on the account of a
discussion with the president of MECUDA
(Meta Cultural and Development Association)
Bamenda branch as well as other Meta
indigenes who held the opinion that children in
these areas are hardworking and skilful1. To do
a comparison of the creative dispositions
exhibited by Meta children in an urban area
and those in the village, Bamenda was chosen.
In this case, respondents were being drawn
from neighbourhoods in some quarters such
as Mbengwi road, Meta Quarter, and Travellers.
The quarters chosen were those in which
many Meta families lived at the time of the study.
Snow ball was used alongside to get from
respondents other Meta children who were good
at craft.
3.3 Instruments
Both quantitative and qualitative data were
collected using observation check list and an
interview guide The observation check list was
designed based on noting the activities children
engaged in as well as the objects and tools they
used which exhibited or portrayed their sense of
imagination, originality, divergent thinking,
adaptability and uncommonness in craft. The
check list contained three major items with both
structured and unstructured questions.
The first item was based on respondent’s
characteristics such as age, sex, and place of
residence. The second item was concerned with
craft. Common craft among Meta children such
as basketry, bamboo works, and papermaking
were short listed. Other aspects of this item
were; the name of the craft product made, tools
used in the production and usage of the
products. The third item was based on the skills
involved in making craft. In this case, a 4 point
likert scale was used to indicate the degree to
which creative skills (imagination, originality,
divergent thinking, adaptability and
uncommonness) occurred as the children
engaged in craft.
An interview guide containing 9 questions was
used to obtain information from the children
concerning what they made. The questions
included aspects such as the name the child
gave to the product he or she made, the tools
used, sources of the tools, the source of
knowledge, the amount of time spent on making
a particular craft work and the usage of the
product made. To ensure reliability and validity, a
pilot test was conducted and the instruments
were given to 3 experts in the study domain for
scrutiny.
3.4 Administration of Instruments
The data collection process took 4 months (from
May to August, 2010). A letter of authorization to
carry out this study from the Faculty of Education
of the University of Buea was presented to the
authorities such as the chiefs, quarter heads and
elders and some parents of the children
concerned where ever the observation was to be
carried out. A period of two months and two

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
15
weeks was used in collecting data in the rural
area. The first two weeks in the Month of May
2010 was spent at the rural community aimed at
getting the specific cases for the study and
gaining some acquaintance with the people and
the environment. About five days each was spent
in each of the villages (Mbemi, Guneku and
Nyen) where the study was conducted. The
chiefs of these different villages were visited and
the letter of authorization to carry out the study
from the faculty presented to them. The purpose
of the study was also made clear to them. During
this period, the researcher attended and took
part in most of the activities of the people such
as daily morning prayers in the churches,
Sunday church services and other village
meetings. In the course of participating in these
activities, the letter of authorization was
presented to the leaders of the institutions or
groups. They were also being told the reasons
for the study. These leaders introduced the
researcher to the people and sought for their
permission and cooperation with the researcher
in the course of carrying out the study.
The people were assured of confidentiality of the
information they had to provide concerning their
children as well as for every information to be
gotten from the children. From these people,
information about some persons who were so
versed and concerned with children’s affairs
were identified. The most prominent one, a
teacher, an elder and Sunday school leader was
met and talked to about the study. She identified
some of the extremely creative children in the
village who belong to the age group of the study.
She acted as the research assistant. Movements
were done around the neighbourhoods in these
villages to identify the homes of the specific
cases as well as obtain permission from the
parents. In this course other cases were
identified by some parents giving information on
the names and homes of other creative children.
Some children where met in action - playing and
others making craft. With these cases,
information on the child’s place of residence was
sought for. During this first phase of movement,
note was only taken of the age, sex and
residence of the children that were gotten.
After identifying almost all the research
participants and their places of residence, the
next two months were based on the actual
collection of data. One child was visited about
five times before all the necessary information
needed about the said child was gotten. Nothing
was actually noted during the first visit for each of
the children. This was aimed at eliminating
behaviour modification and getting the natural
behaviour in the children engaging in craft. The
best days in which the children were actually met
in action were ‘county Sundays’ (the days before
market days), Sundays after church and even on
market days for children who did not go to sell or
assist parents in the market. Good enough it was
the holyday period. Though most of them had to
help their parents in the farm, it was common to
see them around also playing or engaged in one
craft work or the other especially on bright
weather days.
Movements on daily bases were begun from
about 9 or 10 am till about 6 pm. The specific
cases were being observed in groups but
attention was focused on the creative skills of the
particular child of concern as they engaged in
craft. Each child was observed for between 15 to
20 minutes on about four occasions. A similar
procedure was followed in the urban area.
3.5 Method of Data Analysis
Thematic and content analysis was used through
coding and grouping similar responses for the
qualitative data. This was done manually on a
spread sheet. Both descriptive and inferential
statistical methods were used to analyse the
data. For the descriptive statistics, pictures
showing creative skills exhibited by children
where described and the mean averages of
frequencies and percentages of creative skills
identified computed. The inferential statistics
used was Chi Square (X
2
). To calculate qui
square (X
2
), the observed frequencies were
compared with the expected frequencies. The
expected frequencies were obtained by
multiplying the sum of rows (r) by that of the
columns (c) and divided by the total number of
observations (N).
The formula for calculating qui square value is:
2 = ∑ ( − )2

Where O is observed frequency
E is expected frequency
∑ is sum of and
X
2
is chi square.
In other to interpret the results, 0.05 level of
significance was used and the degree of freedom
(df) was calculated. The df is calculated by

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
16
Table 1. Summary of administration of instruments
RURAL AREA
Duration
URBAN AREA
Duration
Villages
Number of instruments
administered
Quarters
Number of instruments
administered
Check list
Interview
guide
Check
list
Interview
guide
Mbemi 7 7 22 days Mbengwi
road
7 7 14 days
Guneku 6 6 18 days Meta
quaters
8 8 28 days
Nyen 7 7 24 days travellers 5 5 10 days
Total 20 20 62 days 20 20 52 days
Table 2. frequency distribution of creative dispositions children exhibit in making craft
1 Creativity in the tools used in making
craft
2 Creative skills involved in craft making
A B C D Total A B C D E F Total
freq 56 31 33 14 124 15 29 17 20 26 16 113
KEY:
1A = Natural tools2A = Use same tool to make more than one craft product
1B = Waste materials 2B = Imaginative use of craft object made
1C = House hold utensils2C = Sense of order
1D = Others: stationeries/electrical appliances2D = Beautiful designing of object made
2E = Good imitation; 2F = Insensitiveness
multiplying the number of rows minus one (R-1)
by the number of columns minus one (C-1) that
is the df is equal to (R-1) (C-1). After calculating
the df, if the calculated value (X2) for each
hypothesis is greater than the critical value (table
value), the null hypothesis is rejected and the
alternate accepted. This implies a significant
difference between variables measured. If the
calculated value (X
2
) on the other hand is less
than the critical value, the null hypothesis is
upheld implying no significant difference exist
between variables compared.
4. RESULTS
4.1 Creative Dispositions Exhibited by 6-
13 Years Old as They Engage in Craft
Results for this objective have been presented
qualitatively as observed. Pictures showing the
creative dispositions 6-13 years old children
exhibited as they engaged in craft are described
and the average mean and percentages of the
frequency for the creative skills computed.
Fig. 2 and 3 illustrates creative skills boys’ exhibit
in making craft. The child in Fig. 2 exhibits a
good sense of imagination as he looks for
material (harvest bamboos), shapes them and
makes a stool. The boy in Fig. 3 exhibits a good
sense of originality and imagination as he
makes a radio with an ear piece out of
bamboo and foam. He designs the radio
with all its accessories making it look like the
original.
Most Meta girls make things good for house hold
use. They exhibit a good sense of imagination
and originality. The child in Fig. 4 is just 8 years
old but she marks chair covers that are used in
the house. When she was asked the source of
her skills, she replied “I use to watch my aunt
mark the North West traditional regalia”. This
little girl pursued her mother to buy her material
for marking. This same child also exhibits a
sense of originality as she uses similar designs
she saw from the aunt to mark something new
(chair covers). She actually shapes the material,
draws the designs and marks with two colours of
thread to make it look beautiful. This child shows
much interest in this as she spends most of her
time marking. The child in Fig. 5 also portrays
imaginative skills as she makes and designs
good baskets all by the self.

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
17
Fig. 2. 6-9 year old Meta boys’ creativ ity in
craft
Fig. 3. 10-13 year old Meta boys’ creativity in
craft
Fig. 4. 6-9 year old Meta girls’ creativity in
craft
Fig. 5. 10-13 year old Meta girls’ creativity in
craft
Fig. 6. Meta children’s creativity in craft

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
18
Table 3. Frequency distribution and Cal and Crit X
2
value for creative dispositions rural and urban children exhibit in craft
1 Creativity in the tools used in making craft
X
2
Cal
X
2
Crit
df
2 Creative skills involved in craft making
X
2
Cal
X
2
Crit
df
Status
A
B
C
D
Total
A
B
C
D
E
F
Total
Rural f 39 14 19 3 75 12.507>
7.815 3 11 16 8 10 9 5 59 8.216<
11.070 5
Urban f 17 17 14 11 59 4 13 9 10 17 11 64
Total f 56 31 33 15 134 15 29 17 20 26 16 123
KEY:
1A = Natural tools 2A = Use same tool to make more than one craft product
1B = Waste materials 2B = Imaginative use of craft object made
1C = House hold utensils 2C = Sense of orderliness
1D = Others: stationeries/electrical appliances 2D = Beautiful designing of object made
2E = Good imitation
2F = Insensitiveness

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
19
The child in the left of Fig. 6 makes an eye
glass out of a broom stick. This is an
exhibition of the imaginative, uncommonness
and divergent thinking skills in the child.
The child’s ability to make an eye glasses
out of a broom stick is not very common.
The picture to the right of Fig. 6 illustrates
boys’ use of natural and waste materials
in their environment to make toy
cars. This exhibits an aspect of originality as
they make cars that are different from those
existing. The ability of these children to
transform what they have around them
considered as waste or useless in to something
useful to them exhibits their ability to adapt to
their environment which is creative. They make
their tires out of waste bathing slippers and
ensure they move along with their spare tires
when driving.
4.2 Creativity in the Tools Used in Making
Craft
Total frequency of creative dispositions in
tools used in making craft = 124
Total number of children observed = 40
Number of grouped responses for
creative dispositions in tools used in making
craft = 4
Mean frequency of creative dispositions =
134 ÷ 40 = 3.35
% creativity in tools used in making craft =
3.5 ÷ 4 × 100 = 83.75%
4.3 Creative Skills Involved in Craft
Making
Total frequency of creative skills involved in
craft making = 113
Total number of children observed = 40
Number of grouped responses for creative
skills involved in craft making = 6
Mean frequency of creative skills = 113 ÷ 40
= 3.08
% creative skills involved in craft making =
3.08 ÷ 6 × 100 = 51.25%
Average % creative dispositions for choice
and tools used and the skills involved in
making craft
= 83.74 + 51.25 ÷ 2 = 67.5%
Meta children generally (67.5%) exhibit
creative dispositions in craft making. Their
degree of creativity is however highly exhibited
(83.75%) in the tools they use in craft making
than in the skills they exhibit in making craft
(51.25%).
4.4 Creative Dispositions Rural and
Urban Children Exhibit in Craft
The calculated chi square value being greater
than the chi square critical value at a degree of
freedom 3 and significant level of 0.05 (X
2
cal
(12.507) > X
2
crit (7.815) at df of 3 and 0.05 sl)
as shown on the table above indicates that there
is a significant difference in the creative skills
rural and urban children exhibit in the tools they
use in making craft. Rural children exhibit more
creative skills than urban ones in their craft tools.
On the other hand, there is no significant
difference in the creative skills children in both
the rural and urban area exhibit in making craft
since the X
2
cal (8.216) < X
2
crit (11.070) at df of
3 and sl of 0.05.
However, the overall X
2
cal value for both the
creative dispositions exhibited in the tools used
and skills involved in making craft for rural and
urban children is greater than the X
2
crit value (X
2
cal (8.814) > X
2
crit (3.841) at df of 1 and sl of
0.05. Children in the rural area tend to exhibit
more creative dispositions in craft than those in
the urban area.
Summarily, the findings reveal that Meta
children, aged 6-13 years highly exhibited
(67.5%) creative skills as they engage in craft.
There is a significant difference (X
2
cal (12.507)
> X
2
crit (7.815)) in the creative dispositions rural
and urban children exhibit in the tools they use in
making craft. Rural Meta children seem to exhibit
more creative skills than urban ones in the tools
they use in making craft. On the other hand,
there is no significant difference (X
2
cal (8.216) <
X
2
crit (11.070)) in the skills involved by Meta
rural and urban children in making craft. Overall,
considering both the creative dispositions
exhibited in the tools used and skills involved in
making craft, there exist a significant difference
(X
2
cal (8.814) > X
2
crit (3.844)) in creative skills
rural and urban children exhibit in making craft.
Children in the rural area exhibit more creative
dispositions than those in the urban areas in
making craft.
5. DISCUSSION
Meta children generally as per the findings of this
study exhibit creative skills as they engage in
craft. This implies that the children show a sense
of imagination, originality and divergent thinking,
adaptability and uncommonness in the tools they
use (natural, waste materials, house hold
utensils and electrical appliances) and the skills

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
20
involved (imaginative use of craft object made,
sense of order, beautiful designing of object
made, good imitation, inventiveness and the use
of same tool to make more than one craft
product). Meta children make craft objects like,
baskets, brooms, bamboo chairs, cars,
aeroplanes, bird nest, catapult, knit skirts, bags
and mark back rest. Meta children’s participation
and exhibition of creative skills in making craft is
however not strange as craft is a cultural and
income generating activity of the people. Just as
Bandura [27] says children learn by observing
and imitating adult behaviour, Meta children
obviously learn much of craft work from members
of their social settings. These findings are
consistent with [16] perspective that children in
late childhood are industrious and learn to win
recognition by producing things and [17] who
says such children have the developmental task
to recognize and cognize social roles. These
characteristic of children in the said age group
keeps them active thus the tendency to exhibit
their creative dispositions. Similarly, the
exhibition of craft works done by children of the
said age group in other African countries like
Congo, Niger and Madagascar as expressed at
the UNESCO 2006 exhibition of African
children’s toys portrays the creativity African
children exhibit in craft.
Also, the findings revealed that there is a
significant difference in the creative dispositions
Meta children in the rural and urban areas exhibit
in their craft tools but none actually exist in the
skills involved in making craft. The differences
are in favour of the rural Meta children. This
implies, children in the rural area exhibit far more
creative dispositions –better sense of originality,
imagination, adaptability, divergent thinking and
uncommonness in the tools they use in craft
making than those in the urban area. This affirms
the idea that the physical and social setting in
which the child lives has a lot to play in a child’s
development [18]. The rural area being still very
much in its natural state and the fact that children
in this area don’t have access to readymade toys
or play objects as those in the urban setting,
makes them bound to use the available natural
resources to make their own play objects. In the
same line, a study on a comparison between
children’s toys in Urban and rural areas proved
that city children owned dolls, Barbie's, modern
heroes, electronic vehicles, computer games and
play stations with none of them having
handmade toys while some of the village children
(3 out of 9) had handmade toys [23]. The degree
of originality and imagination of rural children’s
creativity in the tools they use is thus bound to be
higher than that for those in urban centres.
The insignificant difference in the dispositions
exhibited by Meta children in making craft is
perhaps due to the fact that craft is an
indigenous aspect of the Meta people.
Irrespective of where they live they still often
engage in craft work. Though children in the rural
area show more sense of originality, imagination
and adaptability in the tools such as
natural, waste materials and house hold
utensils, they use in making craft, there is no
difference in the skills they exhibit in making
craft objects.
6. CONCLUSION
Based on the little regard for children’s
development of creative skills in the course of
their engagement in craft, this paper has been
preoccupied with highlighting those creative skills
that they develop when they engage in craft.
Secondly, it compares the skills for urban and
rural children. Through a sequential explanatory
design, the findings revealed that children’s
engagement in craft develops their creative skills.
Children in the rural area exhibit more creative
skills than those in the urban area. The results
have been discussed within the framework of the
developmental niche theory by Supper and
Harkness and Erickson and Nsamenag’s
developmental stage characterization of children
in the said age group. The study highlights the
fact that African children are endowed with
creative potentials which if supported and
encouraged would benefit the communities we all
inhabit. Finally, the study has contributed to
underscore the importance of Cameroonian
children’s creative dispositions to their
development and education. People in the child’s
social setting like the parents, siblings,
neighbours, are therefore called upon to
encourage and appreciate creative moves
children exhibit. It is also necessary for such
persons to keenly identify the children’s interest,
abilities and potentials in the process so as to
provide them with educational opportunities that
can develop those potentials in to befitting
careers.
CONSENT
As per international standard or university
standard, participant’s parents’ written consent
has been collected and preserved by the
author(s).

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
21
COMPETING
INTERESTS
Author has declared that no competing interests
exist.
REFERENCES
1. Locke J. An essay concerning human
understanding. Oxford: Oxford University
Press; 1975.
2. Onibonoje GO, Omonotoso K, Lawal OA.
The indigenous afro development. Nigeria:
Onibonje Press & Books Industries Ltd;
1976.
3. Cropley AJ. Definitions of creativity. In
Runco MA, Pritzker SR. (Eds.),
Encyclopedia of Creativity San Diego, CA:
Academic Press. 2011;511-524.
4. McArdle T. Planning in technical
and vocational education and training.
Planning & Project Development.
Heart Trust / National Training Agency;
2002.
5. Aristotle. Nicomachean ethics. Second
edition, translated by Terence
Irwin, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co.;
1999.
6. McClure FA, Chrisman RJ, Mock P.
Education for work: The historical evolution
of vocational and distributive education in
America: Fairleigh Dickinson University
Press; 1985.
7. Brühlmeier A. Mitarbeit an der
Pestalozzi Website von Prof. Dr. G.
Kuhlemann: Accessed from the WWW;
1998.
Available:www.heinrichpestalozzi.info
Retrived on 21/04/2010
8. Ruiza M, Fernández T, Tamaro E.
Biography of Friedrich Froebel. In
Biographies and Lives. Barcelona, Spain);
2004.
Available:https://translate.googleuserconte
nt.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=
search&pto=aue&rurl=translate.google.co
m&sl=es&sp=nmt4&u=https://www.biografi
asyvidas.com/biografia/f/frobel.htm&usg=
ALkJrhicmpIhwbFtD237stOWKmUG4DUY
XQon October 19, 2020
9. Thane L. About Craft. The spirit and hand
development in school. Pios Bonghandel
Copenhage; 1914.
10. Shveda U. “Heritage Craft” National
Council for Educational Research and
Training. New Delhi: National Council for
Educational Research and Training
(NCERT); 2006.
11. Barron F. The disposition toward
originality. Journal of Abnormal
Psychology. 1955;51:478-485.
12. MacKinnon DW. The nature and nurture of
creative talent. American Psychologist.
1962;17:484-495.
13. Vygotsky LS. (1930/2004). Imagination
and creativity in childhood. Journal of
Russian and East European Psychology.
2004;42:7-97
14. Guilford JP. The structure of
intellect. Psychological Bulletin. 1956;53:
267-293.
15. Dirkes M. The role of divergent
production in the learning
process. American Psychologist. 1978;33:
815-820.
Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-
066X.33.9.815
16. Erickson EH. Childhood and Society (2
nd
ed).New York: Norton; 1963.
17. Nsamenang AB. Developmental
psychology: Search for a diversity
paradigm. Bamenda: HDRC Publications;
2005.
18. Super CM, Harkness. The Developmental
Niche: A Conceptualization at the
Interface of Child and Culture.
International Journal of Behavioural
Development. Boston: Center. 1986;9(4):
545-569.
DOI: 10.1177/016502548600900409,
Available:http:jbd.sagepub.com/cgi/content
/abstract/9/4/545
Retrieved on 08/03/10.
19. UNESCO. Children’s Toys from Africa:
UNESCO Publications; 2006.
20. Jean-Pierre R. Children’s creativity in toys
and play in Morocco: The Tunisian sahara
and peace education. Brussels: Belgian
National Foundation for Scientific
Research; 2004.
21. Madhura P. Craft Ideas for Girls. Buzzle
Intelligent Life on the Web.; 2010.
Available:http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cr
aft-ideas-for-girls.html,15/05/2010
Retrieved on the 14/05/2010
22. Lambert C. Understanding Your Child from
6-12: Public Affairs Pamphlet. N
o
144,
USA: Public Affairs Committee, Inc. The
six year old is as carefree as the wind;
1968.
23. Preto R. Traditional toys in Turkey:
comparison in rural and urban settings.
Research on child culture. Ankra
University; 2006;16(33).
ISSN: 0103-863.

Ngyah-Etchutambe; AJESS, 12(3): 9-22, 2020; Article no.AJESS.62404
22
24. Dillon RG. Ranking and resistance: A pre-
colonial cameroonian policy in regional
perspective, California. Stanford University
Press; 1990.
25. Kaberry P, Chilver CM. An outline of the
traditional
system
of
Bali
Nyonga,
Southern
Cameroons. Africa. 1961;(4): 355-371.
26. MECUDA. “Annual General Assembly
(AGA) Report” Meta Cultural and
Development Association (MECUDA);
2007.
27. Bandura A. Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of
Control. W.H. Freeman and Company,
New York; 1997.
© 2020 Ngyah-Etchutambe; This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Peer-review history:
The peer review history for this paper can be accessed here:
http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/62404