Issues of developing students' creative abilities in chemistry lessons

Introduction

In today's rapidly changing world, individuals are increasingly required to leverage their creative potential. A creative person is not only capable of adapting to change but also of setting and achieving goals, engaging in constructive communication with others, identifying problems, finding solutions, and evaluating their own activities. By creative abilities, we understand a set of intellectual and personal characteristics that enable an individual to act effectively in situations of novelty, uncertainty, incomplete initial information, and the absence of a clear algorithm for solving problems, thereby achieving innovative results [4].

The creative activity of an individual is the result of upbringing, self-education, learning, and the influence of social relations. All of this convincingly demonstrates that the development of creative activity depends on creating the necessary conditions and prerequisites that maximally stimulate the expression and development of a person's creative potential [2]. The majority of scholars agree that the expansion of an individual's creative potential, including that of adolescents, requires the following:

Development of a knowledge and skills base, the accumulation and systematization of necessary information for creating something new, as well as the refinement of skills essential for the corresponding activity;

Creation of a conducive environment for creativity. The main feature of this creative space is the absence of criticism at the idea-generation stage, which allows for the removal of internal limitations that prevent an individual from viewing problems from a new perspective;

Search for analogies. The possibility of a creative solution to a problem increases if one is able to identify analogies between it and other problematic situations, even if they do not appear similar at first glance.

For the development of creative thinking, the following algorithm is proposed:

1. Learn to analyze the object and the process. Our world consists of systems. A felt-tip pen, a needle, rest, a car, a family – all of these are examples of systems. One must be able to construct and analyze "Composition-Connections-Interaction" diagrams.
2. Learn to use multidimensional or so-called "broad" thinking. Every person must be able to see any object or process (system) not only in isolation but also in terms of its "subsystems" (components) and "supersystems" (the systems of which the object of our analysis is a part; there are usually several of these). At the same time, one must be able to see the past, present, and future of the system, its subsystems, and supersystems.
3. Learn to analyze the development of the system. This means being able to apply the laws of system development – to discern the current stage of development of the system, its subsystems, and the supersystems to which it belongs. Identify external environmental factors influencing the system's development and the internal resources of the system and its subsystems. Identify counter-systems (competitors) and parallel (friendly) systems, as well as the trends in their development, in order to anticipate them or utilize them for one's own purposes.
4. Learn to predict the development of the system. This implies that when planning the future of any system, we must take into account the objective conditions of the higher-level supersystems and the trends in their development. Learn to analyze the relationship between one's own internal resources and the influence of the external environment. Be able to attract resources from parallel systems.
5. Be able to correctly formulate problems within a specific situation and identify pathways to their solutions. Much has been written about how much effort and resources are wasted on solving incorrectly formulated problems.
6. Employ a high degree of imagination and fantasy. Be able to "link" unconventional solutions to specific conditions. Sometimes a fantastical idea contains a rational core. However, finding it requires a special skill – "creative criticism." These skills are developed through brainstorming, analysis of the consequences of solving a problem, and so forth.
7. Be able to implement problem-solving approaches. It might seem that this personality trait is connected not so much with thinking as with character. Yet, the unique feature of the methodology for teaching creative thinking is that by learning to analyze and solve various non-standard problems, a person not only transforms their thinking. Changing mental skills and ways of thinking inevitably prompts a person to address their own personal challenges: to define their tasks and goals in this world and to modify their relationships with others, groups, and organizations. The individual learns to structure their relationships in the optimal way – to achieve their own goals. In doing so, they naturally take into account various goals, development directions, and resources of their environment [1, 5].

Brief Description of the Main Methods of Active Learning (Collective, Group, Individual)

Chemistry as an academic subject in school is a specific science. Chemistry is an empirical science that relies on practical experiments. However, it cannot always be founded on a fundamental law of nature or a rigid mathematical formula. The results of experiments with the same substances, but under different conditions, are often highly contradictory. Interpreting these results requires a substantial amount of theoretical knowledge. At the same time, chemistry is initially studied in secondary school, at a time when many students – if not the majority – lose interest in learning, particularly in mastering theoretical material. Therefore, it is logical to base the development of a creative approach to chemistry on its practical significance [6, 14].

We are convinced that the foundation of chemistry instruction lies in subordinating the educational process to a practical interest in the subject, which teaches students to assess the value of specific materials for a particular purpose.

Essentially, in every village or town, and especially in cities, one can find production facilities that are, in some way, connected with the transformation of substances. The main thing is to link production processes with theoretical material. Of course, the principles of conducting lessons must be significantly modified. Particularly interesting are non-traditional forms and methods of conducting lessons:

• Lessons with modified organizational methods;
• Lessons based on imagination;
• Lessons that simulate specific activities or types of work;
• Lessons with a competitive and game-based foundation;
• Lessons involving a transformation of standard organizational methods;
• Thematic weeks [3, 8].

Currently, national education is transitioning to new generation standards, which define the role of computerization and confirm humanity's entry into the era of globalization of information processes.

Only in the last decade have new information technologies – the Internet, mobile communications, and digital technologies – come into widespread use. Children are particularly fascinated by all the latest technological advances. Therefore, it is important to utilize students' curiosity and high cognitive activity for the purposeful development of their personalities. In lessons under the guidance of a teacher, students can learn to use computer technology for educational purposes, master methods of obtaining information to solve educational problems, and, as a result, master a wider range of problems and acquire skills that will allow them to continue their education throughout their lives. Implementing a new approach to education using information technology reveals the vast opportunities that computers offer for improving the educational process at every stage of a lesson [7].

It is important to strive for a well-thought-out organization, coordinated with the curriculum and schedule, taking into account the school's resources and the students' academic interests. Extracurricular activities in chemistry should be part of the system of extracurricular activities of the whole school, coordinated with similar activities in other subjects, especially related ones. Extracurricular activities in chemistry rely on the support of the school administration and public organizations. It is also necessary to take into account the wide possibilities for organizing extracurricular activities at school, arising from various events outside the scope of school work: participation in chemistry olympiads, competitions, exhibitions of technical creativity, and reviews of chemistry laboratories.

Conclusion

It is crucial that the use of information technology is seamlessly integrated into the structure of each lesson, allowing students to participate in research activities at a modern and qualitatively new level, thereby developing their learning motivation and key competencies.

Thus, computerization in education creates a unique information environment that stimulates children's interest and curiosity. This facilitates the comprehension and resolution of many intellectual problems, reinforces the development of the potential and cognitive abilities of each student, fosters creative initiative, and promotes personal growth.