The University of Montana
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Technical report #22/2010
An Exploratory Study of Relationships between Students' Creativity and Mathematical Problem-Posing abilities
Xianwei Yuan
Dept of Mathematics
Illinois State University
USA
Bharath Sriraman
Dept of Mathematical Sciences
The University of Montana
USA
Abstract
In this paper we report on a cross cultural study involving U.S and Chinese high school students exploring the construct of mathematical creativity from a problem posing point of view. Numerous quantitative batteries such as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking [TTCT] and problem posing tasks are used to discern similarities and differences in creative abilities of comparable groups of U.S and Chinese students. Among the findings reported in this paper are a significant relationship between creativity and mathematical problem-posing abilities of high school students taking advanced courses in the Chinese group but not in the U.S. group.
Keywords: creativity; divergent thinking; generalizing; mathematical creativity; mathematical problem posing; problem solving; Torrance Tests of Creative thinking;
AMS Subject Classification: 97