MOTIVATION AND ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS' CREATIVE THINKING

This article studies the relationship between students' motivational orientations and the characteristics of the educational environment in the context of developing creative thinking. The relevance of the study stems from the need to develop the creative potential of future specialists in the context of modern higher education. A quantitative questionnaire (n = 320) was used as a methodology. Internal and external motivational factors, perceptions of the educational environment, and the level of creative thinking measured using a standardized divergent thinking test were assessed. The results showed that intrinsic motivation and a supportive learning environment have a statistically significant effect on students' creative thinking (p < 0.01), with the learning environment explaining 31% of the variance in the indicators, and intrinsic motivation explaining 28%. The results of the study confirm the need for a comprehensive approach to the development of creative competencies, including the need to stimulate intrinsic motivation and create a favorable pedagogical environment.