Development of Creative Thinking in Mathematics: A Journey from Rote Learning to Creativity
Mathematics is one of the most important subjects in our current era, which relies heavily on mathematical sciences. In this context, the goal of teaching it is not limited to rote learning and memorization, but extends to the development of students' creative thinking abilities. Creative thinking is a complex and purposeful mental activity. It pushes its user to search for new solutions and reach unfamiliar results.
The Concept of Creative Thinking in Mathematics
Creativity is generally defined as the ability to present unique ideas or innovative solutions to problems. In the context of mathematics, creative thinking can be manifested as a science when a student can solve a mathematical problem independently in a way that was not previously known to them. As a school subject, creativity appears when the student realizes that many mathematical problems can be solved in more than one way, and this in itself is the essence of creative thinking in the subject.
Students' mental activity can be directed toward forming new mathematical relationships that go beyond the traditional relationships. This creative thinking reflects fundamental abilities such as:
* Fluency: The ability to generate the largest possible number of ideas and possible solutions.
* Flexibility: The ability to provide unusual answers and produce different categories or concepts for the same problem.
* Originality: The ability to produce new, unique, and unusual mathematical ideas.
* Complexity: The ability to conceptualize difficult, intertwined, and multi-layered ideas or products.
* Risk-taking: The desire to be brave, adventurous, and bold to try new things.
* Imagination: The ability to dream, innovate, or see, and the ability to think and visualize new ideas or products.
* Curiosity: The trait of showing investigative behaviors, asking questions, and searching for a deeper look at ideas.
* Elaboration: The ability to add new explanations and a variety of ideas, or a solution to a problem, or graphs that help develop or implement it.
The Teacher's Role in Developing Creative Thinking
The teacher has a pivotal role in developing students' creative thinking, as students spend most of their time in school with the teacher. To achieve this, the teacher must adopt modern teaching methods that go beyond rote learning and memorization. According to the principles of creative teaching mentioned by Torrance, a teacher can be guided by principles including:
* Respecting students' ideas, perceptions, and imaginations.
* Respecting students' questions, especially the unusual ones.
* Showing the student that their ideas have importance and value.
* Allowing the student to work without the threat of external evaluation.
* Linking the student's evaluation closely to the causes and results.
The teacher must also eliminate negative factors that affect learning situations, such as forcing students to follow limited steps in solving mathematical problems, judging a solution to be wrong simply because it did not follow the familiar method, or relying on rote teaching. Instead, they must encourage students to ask different questions and offer ideas, meet their needs for challenge and excitement, and encourage dialogue and discussion.
Current Situation and Future Recommendations
Studies that dealt with creative thinking in mathematics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia indicated a lack of comprehensive research on this issue. The existing studies often link creativity to a specific strategy without addressing the need to develop integrated programs for both teachers and students.
Therefore, the research recommends the necessity of conducting future studies and research that focus on designing new programs and strategies that are appropriate for the Saudi environment and the social and cultural characteristics of Saudi students. The goal is to make mathematics an inspiring and enjoyable subject that students accept without fear or boredom.
