Gender and age characteristics of foreign language teachers' ability to express creativity in professional activity

The article highlights the results of an empirical study of gender-age characteristics of the ability to express the creativity of teachers of foreign languages in their professional activities in institutions of higher education. The urgency of the problem, the need for creative teaching of foreign languages, which will allow the teacher to creatively present educational material, encourage the development of creativity in the personality of each student, be open to mastering new life and professional experience, capable of generating new ideas and implementing them in practical activities, etc., are highlighted. According to the results of the empirical research, a low level of ability to manifest and implement creativity in professional activity was revealed in a significant number of teachers of foreign languages. A low level was found in more than half of the subjects, which indicates a low ability to make non-standard decisions, create new creative products, and initiate and implement innovative methods and forms, which, in turn, complicates the realization of the ability to innovate, ingenuity, self-organization, the ability to bring to a logical conclusion completion of creative initiatives. Gender-age differences in the ability to show creativity in the professional activities of foreign language teachers were revealed (female subjects showed higher indicators of the ability to make non-standard decisions compared to men, except for persons aged 30–40; they are more capable of creating creative products at the age of 30 years and 40–50 years; self-organization of creative work – at the age of over 50; management of the professional environment is manifested at the age of 30 and 40–50 years. Male foreign language teachers showed the highest indicators of the ability to make non-standard decisions – under the age of 30; create new, creative products – between the ages of 40–50 and over 50; focus on creating creative products – under the age of 30 and over 50; manage a professional environment between the ages of 40–50. Ability before the introduction of innovative methods and forms is most developed in men and women aged 40–50