The Effect of the Cognitive Approach on Developing Creative Personal Identity among Fifth-Grade Literary Branch Students

Abstract

This paper aimed to investigate the effect of the cognitive approach on developing creative personal identity among fifth-grade literary students. The researcher formulated the following hypotheses:

1. There is no statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean scores of the students in the experimental group, who study history according to the cognitive approach, and those of the students in the control group, who study the same subject using the conventional method, on the Creative Personal Identity Scale.
2. There is no statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean scores of the experimental group students, who study history according to the cognitive approach, in the pre- and post-applications of the Creative Personal Identity Scale.
3. There is no statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean scores of the control group students, who study history through the conventional method, in the pre- and post-applications of the Creative Personal Identity Scale.

To achieve the objective of the study, the researcher adopted the experimental method and selected a partially controlled equivalent-groups design. The study sample consisted of 44 fifth-grade literary students from Al-Hasan Bin Ali Secondary School for Boys, affiliated with the General Directorate of Education of Diyala, Baqubah District Center, during the 2025–2026 academic year. The sample was divided into two groups: an experimental group of 22 students who studied history according to the cognitive approach and a control group of 22 students who studied the same subject using the conventional method.

The researcher established equivalence between the two groups in several variables, including mid-year grades, intelligence, chronological age measured in months, parents’ educational attainment, and the pre-application of the Creative Personal Identity Scale. The researcher also developed a Creative Personal Identity Scale consisting of 23 items distributed across three domains: Creative Self-Perception, Support for Creative Performance, and Confidence in Creative Performance. The scale’s validity and reliability were established, and its psychometric properties were verified. The experiment was conducted during the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year. Following the completion of the experiment, the Creative Personal Identity Scale was administered to both groups. The data were analyzed statistically using the t-test.

The results revealed a statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups on the post-application of the Creative Personal Identity Scale in favor of the experimental group. The findings also showed a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-applications for the experimental group in favor of the post-application.

The study concluded that the cognitive approach contributed to the development of students’ creative personal identity by stimulating mental processes, enhancing creative and critical thinking, and providing students with opportunities to participate actively in knowledge construction and self-directed learning experiences. This positively influenced their perception of their creative selves and strengthened their confidence in their abilities to achieve and innovate.

In light of the findings, the researcher recommended adopting the cognitive approach in teaching history to fifth-grade literary students and incorporating it into teacher preparation and professional training programs in line with contemporary educational trends and their role in fostering students’ creative personal identity.