Development of students' creative abilities in the course of studies at a higher school

The presented paper is concerned with basic notions of: creativity, creative activity, creative self-realisation, which are necessary for understanding of the essence of the problem. The authors also examine properties, functions, types of creative self-realisation. The conception of "pedagogical creativity" takes a special place in the analysis. It is specified that essential properties of the pedagogical creativity are integrity, effectiveness, applicability in real conditions of pedagogical practice. The process of students' creative self-actualisation is a mutual alliance, where spirituality matters. The latter is an alloy of attitudes and motivation of person's behaviour that inspires creativity, the results of which, penetrating into society, influence the development of motivation and values pre-determining not only creative process of self-creation but also youth's realisation in conditions of growing social conflicts, confrontation of various social-political forces, scientific and educational schools of thought and trends. Various approaches to definition of the essence of creativity are described.