Creative learning within professional development courses for it-teachers of higher educational institutions

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of developing creativity of teaching staff in the system of advanced training (continuing professional development for teachers) within the framework of new trends in the development of professional teaching competencies. The purpose of the article is to identify the organizational and educational conditions for implementation of creative learning and develop its methodology within professional development courses for IT-teachers. Materials and Methods. The article is based on works of scholars whose research reputation is recognized by scientific community in the field of creative learning and advanced training of teaching staff. Research methods include analysis of scientific and methodological literature, comparison of teaching technologies, reviewing performance, and statistical processing of results of the pedagogical experiment. Results. Based on analysis of conceptual apparatus from psychological and pedagogical positions, characteristic features of creative learning for system of continuing professional development of teaching staff have been revealed. Organizational and educational conditions for implementing creative learning within the system of professional development are based on the following specific features of professional teaching activity of IT-teachers: high motivation for innovations in the field of information and communication technologies; focus on competently-oriented work with information projects; and using innovative forms, creative methods and electronic means of teaching. It is proposed to improve the content of professional development courses for IT-teachers by providing a separate educational module aimed at enhancing creativity, as well as by introducing the method of creative development of IT-teachers, which is based on fact that during the training IT-teachers critically analyze their professional and methodological needs in order to advance their innovative knowledge and teaching techniques and implement them in project activities. It is substantiated that implementation of the method of creative professional learning within professional development courses for IT-teachers contributes not only to increasing the efficiency of professional development, but to effective solving professional and methodological problems encountered in training practice. Conclusions. Research with mathematical and statistical analysis of data confirmed that implementation of the method of creative learning within the system continuing professional development of teaching staff is an effective model of improving professional competencies of IT-teachers.