A Systematic Literature Review: Discipline-Specific and General Instructional Practices Fostering the Mathematical Creativity of Students

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review is to reveal the research findings that suggest instructional practices to foster the creativity of students in mathematics. Although several studies have investigated the effects of various instructional practices influencing the mathematical creativity of students, little is known about how the findings of this collective body of research contribute to the understanding of what instructional practices should be integrated into a mathematic classroom to further foster the mathematical creativity of students. In this systematic review, the knowledge of instructional practices that foster the mathematical creativity of students were categorized under two main factors including: 1) discipline-specific instructional practices and 2) general instructional practices. The discipline-specific instructional practices were problem-solving, problem-posing, open-ended questions, multiple solution tasks, tasks with more than one correct answer, modeling/model-eliciting activities, technology integration, extendable tasks, and emphasizing abstractness of mathematics. The general instructional practices were providing students with ample time to think creatively about real-world related mathematical problems in a judgment free and collaborative classroom environment so that they take risks to share their mathematical ideas and use informal words. Integrating all of these instructional practices into mathematics classrooms can provide opportunities for students to discover their potential creative abilities in mathematics.