The relationship between teachers' educational beliefs and creative thinking tendencies (Uşak sample)

This study examines the relationship between teachers' educational beliefs and their tendencies toward creative thinking. The study used the survey method from quantitative research methods. The appropriate sampling method determined the sample, which consists of 404 teachers working in Uşak province during the 2023-2024 academic year. In the study, the "Educational Beliefs Scale" developed by Yılmaz, Altınkurt, and Çokluk (2011) and the "Marmara Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale" developed by Özgenel and Çetin (2017) were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the collected data, frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis were used. The research findings revealed a moderate, positive, and significant relationship between teachers' educational beliefs and their tendencies toward creative thinking. Additionally, the study identified progressivism and existentialism as the most adopted educational philosophies by teachers. It was found that teachers generally exhibited a tendency towards creative thinking. The findings revealed that gender did not significantly influence educational beliefs and creative thinking tendencies, but the variables of duty level and branch did significantly influence these tendencies. The study also observed no significant differentiation in teachers' educational beliefs and creative thinking tendencies according to seniority, except for the belief in perennialism. Finally, it was found that teachers' educational beliefs significantly predicted their creative thinking tendencies. Keywords: Educational Beliefs, Educational Philosophies, Creative Thinking, Creative Thinking Disposition, Teachers.