Development of children`s creative abilities in different educational environments

Modern education develops the creativity, which is necessary to adapt and find unconventional  solutions. The educational environment may both stimulate and limit imagination; therefore, comparing different conditions makes it possible to identify the most effective ways to foster children’s creative potential. 

The purpose of the study is to explore the psychological characteristics of the formation and development of creativity in preschool children educated in differently designed educational environments. The study involved 57 children of the preparatory group: 31 pupils from Kindergarten No. 22 “Romashka” and 26 pupils from Kindergarten No. 2 “Buratino” in Aksay. The research included such methods as comparative analysis of theories, mathematical data processing in SPSS 23.0, and the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. The study was conducted in groups working in different educational environments. The first group was tested by the author’s program “Development of Creative Thinking in Senior Preschool Children through the Use of Electronic Drawing Software in the Work of the Educational Psychologist” (experimental group). The second group was tested by the programs “Development of Creative Thinking in Senior Preschool Children Using Edward de Bono’s ‘Six Thinking Hats’ Method” (control group). 

The analysis showed that after realization of the programs, both groups demonstrated positive dynamics in creativity development: the overall indicator increased by 44 %. E. de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” program proved efficiency in developing of verbal, figural, verbal-auditory, and general creative thinking. The results of the study confirm the importance of developing creative abilities which depends on the educational environment.

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