Flow Measurement in Cultural Institutions in the Framework of an Elective Subject at a Hungarian University

Abstract

ABSTRACT The last few decades have seen a growing trend toward the analysis of creativity and flow experiences in pedagogy, but we have only a limited knowledge of how cultural institutions can contribute to flow experiences in learning processes. Our study argues that the effectiveness of learning might be enhanced by the experiential accumulation of knowledge and that the experience of the flow state is also crucial for developing creativity. Focusing on the learning experience of 261 undergraduate students in museums and other cultural institutions, our 20-item Flow State Survey tests if pedagogical events in cultural institutions can help students experience a flow state. Our results support the conclusions of previous research as we found a significant correlation between the appropriate level of challenge and the likelihood of experiencing flow. Moreover, we found high scores for flow experience in the case of both genders, but with significantly higher values for females on a “merging of action” factor. All things considered, we conclude that museums and cultural institutions, when offering appropriate events, can boost the likelihood that students will experience flow-like states; thus, these institutions can provide an ideal environment for creative learning.