FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Аннотация

This article discusses the formation and development of creative and critical thinking skills in future primary school teachers. The article focuses on the significance of creative thinking and key methods to foster it, as well as effective approaches to cultivating critical thinking. By acquiring these skills, teachers can enable students to think independently, solve problems, and generate new ideas. The article presents practical methods for combining creative and critical thinking to enhance the educational process with greater effectiveness and innovation. Keywords: Creative thinking, critical thinking, primary school teachers, teaching skills, education, innovativeapproaches, independent thinking, teaching methods, student learning, pedagogy. Theimportance ofmodern education in fosteringthinking skills Today's education system aims not only to deliver knowledge but also to foster creative and critical thinking skills among students. These skills help learners think independently, solve problems, and create new ideas. At the same time, teachers themselves need to develop these competencies. The formation and development of creative and critical thinking skills in future primary school teachers contributesignificantly to theeffectiveness oftheeducation system. This article analyzes the processes involved in fostering these skills in future primary school teachers and explores howthey can be effectively transferred to students. Theimportance andformation ofcreative thinking Creative thinking is the ability to generate new, original, and effective ideas. Creativity requires teachers to engage students, encourage them to think, and make learning interactive. This competency supports not only lesson delivery but also the creation of an engaging educational environment. Key elements ofcreative thinking: Element Description Teachers encourage students to express their ideas freely and come up FreeThinking with newconcepts. Innovative Applying new and effective methods during lessons, such as games, Approaches group work, and problem-solving activities. Unconventional Using advanced technologies and creative methods to make lessons more Solutions interactive. Motivating students to try new approaches, accept mistakes, and learn Experimentation from them. Methods fordeveloping creativethinking:  Creative tasks: Teachers may assign alternative creative exercises (e.g., story writing, combiningdifferent ideas in alesson).  Cooperative learning: Group work and collaborative projects help foster creative https://ijmri.de/index.php/jmsi volume 4,issue4,2025 569 thinkingas students jointlysolveproblems and generatenew ideas.  Experiments andpractical activities:Hands-on tasks helpstudents think differently and generatefresh perspectives. Weekly planfordeveloping creativethinking: Week Activity Goal Week 1Presentation and discussion To spark student interest increative thinking. Week 2Creativetask: storytelling To encouragestudents to generate original ideas. Week 3Group work: problem-solving To develop creativethinking through collaboration. Week 4Experiments:testing innovations To explore newand innovativesolutions. Theimportance andformation ofcritical thinking Critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and logically connect information. Teachers should teach students how to make informed decisions, analyze information, and develop arguments. Cultivating critical thinking is essential because it encourages students to think independently and consciously. Methods fordeveloping critical thinking:  Question-and-answer sessions: Teachers pose questions to students, prompting discussionand deeper thinking.  Analysis exercises: Students learn to analyze various sources, compare facts, and justify theiropinions.  Problem-solving: Teachers present practical issues and guide students toward resolving themlogically. Weekly planfordeveloping critical thinking: Week Activity Goal Week Analyzing information Teachingstudents tostudy and analyze facts. 1 Week Encouraging students to answer and explore critical Questions and discussion 2 questions. Week Teaching students to analyze and solve problems Problem-solving: group work 3 collaboratively. Week Logical analysis: justifying Helping studentsback uptheirideas with evidence. 4 arguments Integrating creativeand critical thinking Creative and critical thinking are complementary skills. While creative thinking aids in generatingnew ideas, critical thinking helps analyze, evaluate, and validate thoseideas. Comparisontableof creative andcritical thinking: Creativethinking Critical thinking Generating new ideas Analyzing and evaluating ideas Freedom andnon-traditional approaches in thinking Making fact-based decisions Learning from mistakes Logical analysis and argumentation Creating new opportunities Evaluating ideas reliably and with evidence Weekly planforintegrating bothskills: Week activity Goal Week Discussion: combining creative and Teaching students how to c