Empowering Future Teachers: The Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning in Developing Creative Tendencies Among Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers

Creative tendencies are considered one of the key abilities in the field of preschool education and should be intentionally nurtured during the pre-service teacher training stage. However, traditional lecture-based teaching still dominates instructional practices, limiting opportunities for pre-service early childhood teachers to develop their creative tendencies. This study aims to explore the relationship between project-based learning (PBL) and creative tendencies, specifically examining the impact of PBL on the creative tendencies of pre-service early childhood teachers. A quasi-experimental design was employed with a total of 82 participants. The experimental group (EG) participated in a PBL-oriented Picture Book Design Course, while the control group (CG) received traditional lecture-based instruction. Analysis of pre-test and post-test data revealed that both groups showed significant improvement in creative tendencies after the intervention; however, the EG exhibited significantly greater improvement compared to the CG. Further comparisons of post-test scores showed that the EG significantly outperformed the CG in each subdimension of creative tendencies—risk-taking, curiosity, imagination, and challenge—as well as in the total score. The findings provide empirical support for PBL as an effective teaching strategy to systematically enhance the creative tendencies of pre-service early childhood teachers in Picture Book Design Courses. This study offers both theoretical grounding and practical insights for curriculum development and teaching innovation in early childhood education.