DEVELOPING CREATIVE THINKING IN FUTURE TEACHERS THROUGH DIGITAL SIMULATIONS IN THE PROCESS OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Abstract

In the context of the digital transformation of education, the development of creative thinking in future teachers has become one of the priority tasks of higher pedagogical education. The aim of this study is to experimentally assess the effectiveness of using digital simulations in the professional training of students majoring in pedagogical disciplines as a means of fostering their creative abilities. The study involved 62 students, divided into experimental and control groups. The participants in the experimental group completed a six-week course based on the modeling of pedagogical situations in a digital environment. An adapted version of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) was used to assess the level of creative thinking. The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in the creative thinking indicators among students trained with the use of simulations compared to the control group. These findings demonstrate the high effectiveness of digital simulations as an innovative tool in the system of teacher training and emphasize the need to integrate them into the educational programs of pedagogical universities.