Improving the Competence of Early Childhood Education Teachers in Designing Innovation-Based Activities for Children's Creative Thinking

This study aims to describe the improvement of early childhood education teachers' competencies in designing innovation-based activities to develop children's creative thinking skills. The study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design. The research subjects were early childhood education teachers involved in the learning process at early childhood education institutions. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis used the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña models, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that improving teachers' competencies had a positive impact on the quality of learning planning and implementation. Teachers became more capable of designing innovative learning activities, using various learning resources, developing creative instructional media, and implementing child-centered learning. The improvement in teachers' competencies also contributed to the development of children's creative thinking skills, as indicated by their ability to generate diverse ideas, express opinions independently, and create more creative works. Therefore, enhancing teachers' competencies in designing innovation-based activities is an important strategy for supporting the development of creative thinking skills in early childhood education.