Contents and methods of developing creative abilities of college students in educational activities

Background: The study relevance is primarily due to the increasing demand for the education of creative people capable of creative problem-solving and in demand in the modern labour market. Aims: The study aimed to assess the effectiveness and frequency of specific methods for enhancing students' creative abilities in Chinese and Kyrgyz educational institutions, with measurable outcomes such as student participation in creative projects and competitions. Materials and Methods: The following methods were used to realize the mentioned goal: comparative-comparative, statistical, graphical, analytical-synthetic, pedagogical methods, and questionnaire survey. Results: It was shown that Chinese and Kyrgyz education systems, particularly in the direction of creative skills’ development, have differences. According to the results of the conducted questionnaire, pedagogical work in Chinese educational institutions at classes on fine arts and artistic crafts was most often carried out using problem-heuristic and project methods, while in Kyrgyz colleges – using verbal-illustrative and problem-heuristic methods. The most popular among them were the following: participation in competitions, conducting trainings, implementing creative projects, visiting excursions, making products, conducting video lessons, creating presentations, visiting museums. The questionnaire survey confirmed that the lowest indicators of both Chinese and Kyrgyz students were fixed for the comparative methods. It was found out that in order to realize creative potential, it is necessary to combine group form of work with extracurricular work, and academic activities with artistic activities. Conclusions: Based on the information collected about pedagogical institutions, it was concluded that the formation of a creative personality is one of the priority tasks of the educational process in both China and Kyrgyzstan