CONVERGENT AND DIVERGENT THINKING IN EDUCATION: INTEGRATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF SPEECH ACTIVITY

Abstract

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the nature of convergent and divergent thinking as two complementary types of cognitive activity, which are of fundamental importance for the comprehensive development of students’ speech skills. The aim of the study is to theoretically substantiate and develop methodological approaches for the integrated development of these types of thinking. The object of the study is the process of comprehensive speech activity development, and the subject is the methodological conditions and approaches to the development of convergent and divergent thinking that contribute to this process. Special attention is paid to written speech as the highest form of cognitive and linguistic activity. To achieve the goal, methods of theoretical analysis, synthesis, generalization, and modeling were applied. Based on the analysis of classical and modern theories of intelligence and thinking (Guilford, Sternberg, Piaget, Vygotsky, de Bono, Dewey), scientifically grounded methodological approaches and practical exercises are proposed for the integrated development of both types of thinking in the process of language and speech instruction. The practical significance of the work lies in the possibility of using the developed approaches to foster cognitive flexibility, speech productivity in students, as well as to cultivate literate, creatively thinking, and adaptive individuals capable of active participation in a democratic society.

The relevance of the research lies in the urgent need to develop students’ cognitive flexibility and speech productivity within a modern, information-rich and rapidly changing educational environment.

The scientific novelty of the article lies in a comprehensive approach to analyzing the interaction of thinking types and forms of speech activity, as well as in the author’s development of the method “Two-Stage Writing: Idea – Structure – Transformation” (IST), aimed at the systematic enhancement of both divergent and convergent skills in the process of text generation. The article emphasizes the importance of forming not only literate but also creatively thinking, adaptable individuals capable of active participation in a democratic society.