Determinants of Giftedness within the Family as Indicators of Creative Thinking and Creative Personality among Gifted Students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The aim of the research is to identify the significance of the differences in the creative product, the creative process, trends and values towards creativity and the creative personality among gifted students due to family factors and extracurricular activities, and to determine the predictive ability of family factors and extracurricular activities in the creative product, the creative process, trends and values towards creativity and the creative personality. The descriptive approach was used, and the research sample consisted of (190) gifted secondary school students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who were selected using the available sample method from several different schools and regions, namely the Medina region, the Qassim region, the Riyadh region, and the Eastern region. The sample distribution according to the family size variable was (41.6%) of small size, (39.5%) medium size, and (18.9%) large size, and the distribution of the study sample according to the birth order variable was the highest percentage in the middle order with (56.8%) ), then in last place with a rate of (24.7%). The distribution of the sample according to the variable of the father’s educational level was concentrated at the university level at a rate of (63.2%), and according to the variable of the mother’s educational level it was concentrated at the university level at a rate of (70.0%). The majority of the sample resided with their parents (87.4%). The research used the Divergent Thinking Scale, the Creative Activities and Achievements Scale, and the How to Describe Yourself Scale. The results showed that the family size variable was able to predict the level of creative product among students. The birth order variable was able to statistically significantly predict the level of creative product, the level of fluency, the level of flexibility, and the level of creative personality. The variable of the father's educational level was able to predict statistically significantly the level of the creative process, and the variable of the mother's educational level was able to predict statistically significantly the level of the creative personality. It was also shown that extracurricular activities during study and summer extracurricular activities were able to predict statistically significantly the level of creative product, and that the variable of extracurricular activities during study was able to predict statistically significantly the level of creative personality among gifted students, and that the variable summer extracurricular activities was able to predict the level of fluency and the level of flexibility. . Based on the results, the research recommended increasing interest in building training programs in the areas of creative thinking and creative personality for gifted students in Saudi schools, and increasing interest in school extracurricular activities and summer extracurricular activities provided to gifted students. Keywords: creative thinking, creative personality, gifted students, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.