Design Thinking for the Development of Creative Abilities of Electrical Technicians in Vocational Colleges

Relevance it arises from the necessity to look for new ways and means of professional training of future specialists in the context of the renewal of the educational paradigm and the expansion of society's technological capabilities. The article reveals the urgency of the research topic, analyses existing approaches to the interpretation of the term design thinking. In the course of the scientific research, it was found that in the context of applying effective ways to form the professional competence of electrical technicians, the design thinking technology deserves attention, the use of which is a powerful effective tool for developing innovative thinking of students, what is extremely important in an era of rapid change, innovation and increased mobility in all spheres of life in the modern world. Aim: to determine the prospects for introducing design thinking technology to develop the creative abilities of future electrical engineers in vocational colleges. Methods: analysis and synthesis – to determine the stage of problem progress under study and the peculiarities of applying design thinking technology for the improvement of future electrical engineers' creative abilities; generalisation – to formulate conclusions and recommendations for the implementation of design thinking technology for the students' development in vocational colleges; diagnostic (testing, conversation, interview) - to find out the development level of future electrical engineers' design thinking; application of Pearson's ꭓ2 (chi-square) consistency criterion for statistical analysis of the experimental study results. Results: A system for developing design thinking in future electrical technicians within the framework of the course "Power Supply of Enterprises and Civil Engineering Structures" has been designed to increase the effectiveness of using a modern approach to designing innovative products and developing creative abilities. To develop this system, we identified and analysed the methodological principles that characterise the design thinking process. The highlighted stages of applying the design thinking method in the professional training of future electrical technicians are focused on solving a problem situation and getting out of it, the ability to generate ideas, change and improve their project based on the identified shortcomings, and develop skills in working with digital technologies. Conclusion: design thinking is a tool that can be used to project the future and find innovative ways to solve complex problems. It is a technology that meets all the challenges of the times, improves the quality of professional training, and contributes to the formation of the professional competence of future electrical engineers in professional pre-higher education institutions.