Divergent thinking of students: categorical and conceptual analysis

Abstract

Pedagogical aspects of the formation of the interdisciplinary category “divergent thinking” are considered. The purpose of the study is to construct the definition of “divergent thinking of university students” on the basis of the essential and specific characteristics of the named phenomenon, taking into account the criteria of necessity and sufficiency. To achieve a goal, the following methods were used: content analysis of scientific literature, methods of categorical-system methodology: “Two-level triadic decoding of categories”, “Formal-logical method of determining the concept”. The essential characteristics and nature of divergent thinking are identified and described, a two-level triadic model of this category is developed. On the basis of the named model, the definition of the concept of “divergent thinking” is constructed, which, in comparison with other definitions found in the literature, most fully and holistically reflects its key essential characteristics. As a result of the application of the formal-logical method, the definition of “divergent thinking of university students” has been developed, which allows interpreting the named concept and its manifestations from the point of view of personal and creative development of students in the conditions of the educational process of the university. The obtained theoretical results of the analysis of the formation of the category “divergent thinking of students” can be used in the development of technology for the formation and development of this type of thinking of students in the educational process of the university.