Academic Achievement of Groups Formed Based on Creativity and Intelligence

The relationship between creativity and academic achievement is investigated in this study to understand the nature of these relationships in the intelligence continuum among 497 Form Four Malaysian students. Intelligence was measured using Cattel’s Culture Fair Intelligence Tests and Creativity was measured using Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Four groups were formed based on creativity and intelligence scores, namely, High IQ – High Creative, High IQ – Low Creative, Low IQ – High Creative and Low IQ – Low Creative. The mean academic achievement scores of these four groups were compared. One-way ANOVA indicate that there are significant differences in the mean academic achievement scores among the four groups. There were significant differences between High IQ – Low Creative and Low IQ – Low Creative groups as well as between High IQ – High Creative and Low IQ – Low Creative groups. These findings are only to be expected as the difference in IQ between these pairs of groups are 48 and 50 points respectively. However, there are no significant differences in academic achievement between the High IQ Low Creative and Low IQ High Creative groups. This supports the findings reported by Getzels and Jackson (1962), Torrance (1959) and Yamamoto (1964a) of equivalent academic achievement among the highly intelligent and highly creative groups. Although the Low IQ – High Creative group had a mean IQ 46 points lower than the High IQ – Low Creative group, the former appears to be able to compensate for this with their higher level of creativity. Another significant finding is the equivalent academic achievement levels of the High IQ – High Creativity and the Low IQ – High Creativity groups although the latter has a mean IQ 50 points lower than the former group. This further accentuates previous findings that creativity may help compensate the lack of intelligence in enhancing academic achievement. These findings have important implications in curriculum design and instruction aimed at infusing creative thinking and enhancing academic achievement among students of varying level of intelligence.