Educational Potential of Museum Pedagogy and Criteria for its Application in Developing Historical Thinking of Pre-Service History Teachers

This article examines the educational potential of museum pedagogy in developing historical thinking among
pre-service history teachers, with particular emphasis on the criteria for its effective pedagogical application. The study
is grounded in contemporary educational theories, including constructivism, inquiry-based learning, activity-oriented pedagogy,
and experiential learning. Historical thinking is conceptualized as a complex cognitive, reflective, and axiological
competence that enables future teachers to interpret historical reality critically, contextually, and ethically (Ortiqov, 2023).
Museums are interpreted as authentic and multidimensional learning environments that provide direct engagement with
primary historical sources, material culture, and visual-narrative representations of the past (Museumsbund e.V., 2010;
Nigmatov, 2021). The article systematically analyzes the educational opportunities of museum pedagogy and substantiates
a structured system of application criteria–scientific, didactic, interpretative, organizational, and assessment-related–
that ensure its effectiveness in history teacher education. The findings demonstrate that museum pedagogy functions as
a powerful pedagogical mechanism for transforming theoretical historical knowledge into professional historical thinking
competencies, thereby enhancing the quality of pre-service history teacher preparation in higher education.