Creative thinking is increased by means of problem posing instruction in mathematics education

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Date

2010

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Suleyman Demirel University

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of problem posing instruction on the development of mathematical creativity among prospective mathematics teachers. Mathematical creativity is considered a key component of mathematical ability and is often characterized by fluency, flexibility, and originality. Problem posing, which involves generating, reformulating, and generalizing problems, provides a rich environment for enhancing these creative capacities. The study involved 15 randomly selected fourth-year mathematics education students from Suleyman Demirel University. Participants engaged in structured problem posing activities using the Brown and Walter (1983) instructional approach, including open-ended and “What-if-not?” style problems. Pretest and posttest results indicate a significant increase in both the number of questions generated (fluency and flexibility) and the originality of questions, confirming that problem posing instruction effectively promotes creative thinking in mathematics. These findings suggest that integrating problem posing into mathematics education can enhance both teachers’ and students’ creative and cognitive abilities.

Description

Keywords

Mathematical creativity, problem solving, mathematics education, prospective teachers, cognitive development, instructional methods.

Citation

Selim Guvercin/ Creative thinking is increased by means of problem posing instruction in mathematics education / Suleyman Demirel University/ СДУ хабаршысы, 15(3).