Developing Imagination and Creative Thinking In 6–7-Year-Old Children Through Second-Language Learning Using Mind Maps
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/eijp-06-05-73Keywords:
6–7-year-old children, preschool education, second-language learningAbstract
The article examines the development of imagination and creative thinking in 6–7-year-old children through second-language learning. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to improve foreign-language teaching methods at the preschool level while taking into account the age-specific characteristics of children’s cognitive and creative development. The aim of the study is to provide a theoretical rationale and experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of using mind maps in second-language instruction to foster imagination and creative thinking among older preschool children.
The study employed theoretical analysis of the scientific literature, pedagogical observation, a pedagogical experiment, and comparative analysis of diagnostic results. An experimental comparative study was conducted with 120 children aged 6–7 years enrolled in preschool educational organizations in the Kashkadarya, Bukhara, and Samarkand regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the experimental groups, instruction was conducted using mind maps, interactive tasks, and elements created in the Scratch environment, whereas the control groups were taught using traditional instructional methods.
To assess developmental dynamics, indicators adapted from the MELQO model were used, including language literacy, mathematical-cognitive and social-emotional development, creative play, and imagination. The experimental results demonstrated higher performance in the experimental groups compared with the control groups. An aggregated analysis of the results across the three regions revealed an average increase of 23.3% in the assessed indicators.
The findings confirm the effectiveness of integrating visualization, mind maps, and interactive tasks into second-language instruction as a means of supporting imagination, creative thinking, and cognitive engagement among 6–7-year-old children.
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