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M. Khalid et al. Enhancing creativity and problem solving skills through creative problem...
effective learning environments elements in fostering creativity as well as to accommodate
the various needs of students.
Some participants in the study admitted that collaborative solving problems during the in-
terventions made them feel more confident. They also added that solving problems in a group
develops
their potential, and some admitted that collaborative CPS made them feel that math-
ematics is easier and learning mathematics is enjoyable. Thus, CPS was able to assist them in
overcoming the challenges of the new syllabus. These findings are in line with the recommenda-
tion by Park (2013, pp. 412, 416) who recommended that fostering creativity in mathematics
can help students think in different ways besides enjoying learning mathematics.
The participants also admitted that they gain knowledge from their friends in the same
group. They were able to check and compare their answers with
other groups through an
inter-group discussion. This finding supports the research done by Retalis, Katsamani, Geor-
giakakis, Lazakidou, Petropoulou, and Kargidis (2010). One of the participants raised that
creative problem solving gives him the space to analyse and
choose the best method for
answering mathematics questions. His statement supports the work of Anderson, Krathwohl,
Airasian, Cruikshank, Mayer, Pintrich, Raths, and Wittrock (2000, p. 208) when they claimed
that creativity is a skill that could be cultivated to
enhance the cognitive skills, which aims
to be utilized in solving problems. These findings proved the positive impacts of creativity
and creative problem solving (Haylock, 1987). It is crucial for teachers to create powerful
learning and interactive environments to foster creativity (Kaufman & Sternberg, 2006). The
findings in this study also show that the recommendation from researchers who recom-
mended problem solving as one of the solutions to many issues in mathematics classroom is
valid (Kopka, 2010; Khalid, 2017).
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