THE BELIEF AND PRACTICE OF CREATIVITY FOSTERING BEHAVIOUR AMONG CHINESE PRESCHOOL TEACHERS

The era of Industry 5.0 demands innovative talents, underscoring the pivotal role of preschool teachers in fostering creativity. This study examined the beliefs and practices of Creativity Fostering Behavior (CFB) among 181 preschool teachers in Langfang, China, using the CFTIndex (45-item questionnaire). Results from the 5-point Likert scale revealed: (1) Beliefs in flexibility scored lowest (mean = 2.276), while integration/opportunity scored highest (mean = 2.622); (2) Practice scores mirrored this trend, with flexibility lowest (mean = 2.216) and opportunity highest (mean = 2.600). Findings indicate a belief-practice gap, where theoretical endorsement of CFB fails to translate consistently into classroom practice, likely due to insufficient training, rigid curricula, and lack of institutional support. The study highlights the need for targeted professional development to bridge this gap and align teaching practices with creativity-fostering principles.