Arts and Craft Activities as Correlate to Vocational Skills Development of Primary School Pupils in the English-Speaking Regions of Cameroon
Abstract
This study examined whether arts and craft activities correlate with the vocational skills development of primary school pupils in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. Using a quantitative correlational survey design with additional observational and teacher-interview inputs, data were collected from 600 pupils and 60 pupils were observed during arts and craft sessions. Overall, pupils reported a strong perceived contribution of arts and crafts to vocational skill development: 92.6% (n=3333 responses; 1811 SA and 1522 A) agreed that arts and crafts contribute to their vocational skill development. High levels of agreement were recorded across key vocational-relevant domains, including creativity (98.5%), fine motor skills such as writing/drawing (98.0%), teamwork (91.5%), problem-solving (92.2%), and future vocational interest/decision-making (91.7%). In the verification of the research hypothesis, Spearman’s rho indicated a significant, positive relationship between arts and crafts activities and vocational skills development: R = 0.156 with p < 0.001 (two-tailed), leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. Complementing these results, classroom observation showed that most pupils demonstrated satisfactory levels of vocationally relevant competencies during arts and craft activities (64.7% satisfactory, 32.3% excellent, 3.0% need improvement), particularly in areas such as creativity, planning, collaboration, and completion. Teacher interviews further supported the quantitative findings, emphasizing that frequent and varied arts and craft experiences strengthen critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration—skills transferable to future vocational pathways. The study concludes that integrating structured arts and craft activities into primary schooling can positively support pupils’ early vocational competence and identity formation.
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