Richard Adeola OLABODE

The study examined the influence of fostering the creativity of art in senior secondary school students in the Benin metropolis. Three research question were raised to guide this study and one hypothesis was formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The population of this study, consists of seven thousand five hundred and fifty four secondary school students (7,554), from three different secondary schools across three different local government areas, a population of hundred students. The sample size of the study comprised of one hundred (100) senior school students. The instrument used for data collection of this study was a self-structured questionnaire titled, “Influence of fostering the creativity of art in senior school students in the Benin metropolis” (IACSSSQ). The questionnaire was segmented into two sections A and B. Section A measures the demographic variable of the respondent such as gender and class, while Section B, comprised twenty (20) item statements which were drawn from the research questions. The instrument for data collection was face validity by the researcher's supervisor. To establish the reliability of the instrument, copies of the instrument were administered randomly to twenty (20) senior school students. Who were not part of the study population. Thereafter Cronbach statistical tool was used to ascertain consistency. It yielded an alpha value of .771, hence the instrument was considered reliable. The data collected from the respondent, were analysed using mean (), Standard deviation (SD) and two sample independent t-test using statistical package for the social science (SPSS). The findings of the study revealed that art or artistic activities can be used to foster and increase creativity level in senior school students. With statistical backing that drawing and sketching activities, painting and color theory training increases creativity, the study also indicated that artistic skills can extend beyond art to create novel inventions that cut across different industries via virtual and augmented reality, graphic design, collaborating with professionals from other backgrounds such as engineers and business strategists on different projects. The study recommended the following among others Provision of art materials to students by school authorities to enhance their understanding of the subject and foster creativity, Design and maintain art classrooms and studios that are vibrant, and inspire creativity, including spaces for displaying student artwork. Organize art clubs, exhibitions, competitions, and field trips to galleries and museums to provide students with additional opportunities to engage with art outside the classroom and collaborating with local artists for workshops, guest lectures, and mentorship programs