Zdolności wytwarzania konwergencyjnego i dywergencyjnego uczniów szkoły podstawowej i gimnazjum

The article presents the results of research regarding the diagnosis of primary and secondary school students’ abilities in respect of two operations identified by Joy P. Guilford: convergent production and divergent production. The research used a set of SOI-Learning Abilities Tests by Mary Meeker and Robert Meeker. The research was conducted on 516 students (323 primary school students and 193 secondary school students; 259 students were boys). In divergent production tests students at all levels of school education (1st and 2nd stage of primary school and secondary school) experienced difficulties with tests requiring the application of non- -standard solutions and new approaches. This tendency grows in the consecutive years of education. Very good results of primary school students as regards convergent production – which involves the ability to combine and synthesize information relevant for the purpose of solving a given problem – do not continue for secondary school students. The age and sex proved to be differentiating factors for the level and properties of learning abilities as regards the abovementioned operations. In all age groups girls scored better than boys. Third grade students achieved the most scores assessed as above average, outstanding and talented.