Examination of the creative thinking tendencies of social studies teachers and teacher candidates in terms of various variables

In recent years, with the advancement of technology, innovative education programs have had profound impacts on the field of education. In this context, the concepts of creativity and creative thinking have gained importance in education. The aim of this thesis is to examine the creative thinking tendencies of social studies teachers and teacher candidates from various perspectives, and to develop strategies and practical suggestions that can strengthen creative thinking processes. The study employs a survey model. The research sample consists of 58 social studies teachers working in institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Bolu and 148 teacher candidates studying at Abant İzzet Baysal University during the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. Personal information forms and the Marmara Creative Thinking Tendency Scale (MYDEÖ) were used as data collection tools, and the SPSS 26 software package was utilized for data analysis. According to the research results, a significant difference was observed in the variable of birth order among teacher candidates. The creativity levels of teachers were generally found to be high. The research data indicates that being the second child in the family is associated with higher creativity in the sub-dimension of self-discipline. The findings are important as they suggest that efforts can be made to enhance the creativity levels of teacher candidates.