Factors affecting the importance, assessment and development of creativity in primary class mathematics lessons

ISSN: 
2776-1010

Volume 4, Issue 10, Oct. 2023 

55 
to create new mathematical knowledge and to solve flexible problems (Kwon, Park and Park, 2006). In 
their article on the concept of mathematical creativity, Liljedal and Sriraman (2006, p. 19) also 
suggested that mathematical creativity at the school level can be divided into 2 main types. These are: 
1.
A process that leads to unusual, novel, profound solution(s) to a given problem or similar 
problems; 
2.
Forming new questions and opportunities that allow you to look at an old problem from a new 
perspective. 
The important role of problem solving is evident in the two statements above, and creativity in 
mathematics can be enhanced through problem solving. While Ellwood, Pallier, Snyder, and Gallate 
(2009, p. 1) claim that there is considerable overlap in the literature between creativity and problem 
solving, Plucker, Beghetto, and Dow (2004, pp. 83-84) argue that creativity is a problem-solving is 
defined as an important component of making. Consequently, Posamentier, Smith, and Stepelman 
(2009, p. 121) claimed that "solving a problem is like inventing something new." The role of problem 
solving in the development of creativity is clear, so now, especially, non-standard problem, example, 
riddle problem, puzzles that increase critical thinking are becoming popular. Increasing creativity in 
mathematics classes is mainly organized using multiple-solution (open) tasks , problem-solving tools, 
comics, multimedia, STEM teaching tools. Chamberlin and Moon (2005, p. 38) define creativity in 
mathematics as the extraordinary ability to generate new and useful solutions to simulated or real 
practical problems using mathematical modelling. Creativity is the ability to create any composition, 
product or idea that is essentially new and has never been used before. Mathematical creativity involves 
generating new ideas and multiple solutions to mathematical problems (Noraini and Norjoharuddeen 
Nwoke et al. , 2017 ). Problem solving is the foundation of mathematics and includes solving non-
algorithmic exercises. Littlewood (1953) said that a good mathematical puzzle is better than a dozen 
average exercises. A math puzzle challenges the mind , and people seek challenges and enjoy challenges. 
Mathematics is not a hard science that requires only one solution and one solution method, but a 
science with a wider scope that provides a combination of algorithmic-convergent and creative-
divergent tasks. Creativity in education is fluidity, flexibility, new connections, imagination, tools 
related to use and questioning. Creativity is the student's ability to make connections between unrelated 
elements, identify important issues, ask questions out of curiosity, be open to new ideas, unwilling to 
accept routine norms, flexibility and specificity, a learning method that allows for classification into 
new categories. , and this should constitute norms.