Traditional education and creativity in an Afro-Arab Islamic culture: The case of Sudan

This study investigated the differing effect upon creativity of traditional and modern education in the Sudan. The salient characteristics of the two types are presented, with a brief discussion of their likely effects. Four creativity tests, suitably modified for local conditions, were administered to 264 male and female students, with an age range of 15-20 years. The results indicated that the group receiving modern education performed significantly better than the traditionally educated group on two of the four creativity tests, but with equal performance on one test. The traditionally educated group performed significantly better on the fourth test. The discussion suggests there are a number of factors, both sociocultural and methodological, which may account for these findings.