Pedagogical Strategies for Enhancing Students' Creative Thinking Throughout the Learning Process

The development of students’ creative thinking within the contemporary music education system is one of thekey priorities of instruction in higher art educational institutions. The guzheng, as an important bearer of ancient Chinesemusical culture, not only develops students’ performance skills but also contributes to the formation of their creative imagination,artistic sensitivity, and inventive abilities.This article examines effective strategies for teaching guzheng performance in higher education that promote the developmentof students’ creative thinking. The study is based on the concept that art education serves as a fundamental basisfor creative development. The learning objectives, the structure of the educational process, and the nature of interactionbetween students and instructors are analyzed. It is argued that the integration of reflective approaches, interdisciplinaryconnections, heuristic learning, and improvisation into teaching practice enables students to develop critical thinking andindividualize their musical self-expression.The research findings demonstrate that fostering creative thinking not only enhances the expressiveness of performancebut also forms a conscious motivation for artistic exploration. The practical significance of the study lies in improvingguzheng teaching methods in academic environments and contributing to the innovative development of music education.