METHODOLOGY FOR USING DIGITAL DIDACTIC TOOLS TO DEVELOP LOGICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING IN PRIMARY TEACHERS-IN-TRAINING

Digital didactic tools can activate the thinking processes of future primary teachers, yet methodological solutions connecting their use with purposeful development of logical and creative thinking remain insufficiently systematized. The study aimed to design a methodology combining digital tasks, interactive modeling, and reflective assessment and to examine its effectiveness. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, psychometric test development, and multivariate analysis of variance were used. The participants were 120 future primary teachers, with 60 assigned to the experimental group and 60 to the control group. The three-stage procedure consisted of a diagnostic pretest, a formative intervention, and a control posttest; in the experimental group, digital didactic tools were integrated with problem situations, logical sequences, and open-ended creative tasks. At baseline, the logical thinking score was M = 56.8, SD = 6.4, with a range of 42–71; the creative thinking score was M = 55.9, SD = 7.1, with a range of 38–74. Between-group differences at the posttest for logical and creative thinking development were statistically significant at p < 0.05. The scientific contribution lies in substantiating a methodological model that integrates the digital tool, the thinking operation, and pedagogical assessment within one diagnostic-formative-control cycle. The approach can be applied in higher pedagogical education, while further research should examine whether the gains persist in school-based teaching.