Mathematical education should be seen as one of opportunities for creativity development ...One of the education goals at any school level should be to encourage pupils to think creatively, think logically and to be able to solve problems. (Svecova, 2014)
Traditionally, art and literature are the areas in which creativity has been developed, but nowadays doing science has also been considered as a creative act. In the art and literature, it is generally enough to create an extraordinary and novel work, but a creative scientific idea needs to be not only novel but also useful because the nature of mathematics makes it suitable to be used as a scaffold for enhancing creativity. Mathematical creativity is a dynamic property of the human mind that can be enhanced and should be valued. It can be strengthened or it may be ignored. (Yaftian, 2015)
Traditionally, art and literature are the areas in which creativity has been developed, but nowadays doing science has also been considered as a creative act. In the art and literature, it is generally enough to create an extraordinary and novel work, but a creative scientific idea needs to be not only novel but also useful because the nature of mathematics makes it suitable to be used as a scaffold for enhancing creativity. Mathematical creativity is a dynamic property of the human mind that can be enhanced and should be valued. It can be strengthened or it may be ignored. (Yaftian, 2015)
Below is a comparison of the creative processes as outlined in the arts curriculum with the problem solving process as outlined for mathematics. Through comparison the the connections between the processes of both areas complement each other. The creative process in the arts (i.e. challenging and inspiring, imagining and generating, planning and focusing, exploring and experimenting, producing preliminary work, revising and refining, presenting, performing, and sharing, reflecting and evaluating) are reflected in the mathematical processes that support effective learning (i.e. problem solving, reasoning and proving, reflecting, selecting tools and computational strategies, connecting, representing, communicating).
This comparison challenges us to see the process of problem solving in mathematics in a new way and provides inspiration for what mathematics education could (and should) look like.
This comparison challenges us to see the process of problem solving in mathematics in a new way and provides inspiration for what mathematics education could (and should) look like.
Creative ProcessChallenging/Inspiring
Imagining/Generating
Planning/Focusing
Exploring/Experimenting
Producing Preliminary Work
Revising/Refining
Presenting/Performing/Sharing
Reflecting/Evaluating
|
Problem SolvingUnderstand the Problem - the exploratory stage
Make a Plan
Carry Out the Plan
Look Back at the Solution
|
Adapted from Creative Process in Arts (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009, pg. 19) and Problem Solving in Mathematics (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005, pg. 11 )
Resources
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8: the arts. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/arts18b09curr.pdf
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2005). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8: mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/math18curr.pdf
Svecova, Valeria. (2014) Support of pupil's creative thinking in mathematical education. Procedia: social and behavioural sciences. (16) 1715 - 1719.
Yaftian, Narges. (2015) The outlook of the mathematicians’ creative processes. Procedia: social and behavioral sciences. (191). 2519-2525.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2005). The Ontario curriculum grades 1-8: mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/math18curr.pdf
Svecova, Valeria. (2014) Support of pupil's creative thinking in mathematical education. Procedia: social and behavioural sciences. (16) 1715 - 1719.
Yaftian, Narges. (2015) The outlook of the mathematicians’ creative processes. Procedia: social and behavioral sciences. (191). 2519-2525.