Promoting Creativity and Self-efficacy of Elementary Students through a Collaborative Research Task in Mathematics: A Case Study

Abstract

There is a consensus among mathematicians and mathematics educators that creativity plays an essential role indoing mathematics. Creative students are self-regulated students who take control over processes and experiencehigh self-efficacy beliefs. The aim of this case study was to promote mathematical creativity and self-efficacy ofelementary students through a collaborative research task, and qualitatively elicit their efficacy-beliefs aboutperforming creative mathematics tasks. The research questions asked about the students’ ability to show creativity inthe classroom and about the extent to which the task enriched their mathematics knowledge, and made them realizethe beauty of mathematical creativity. Participants were 24 sixth graders who attended a college of education once aweek, to learn mathematics. This study revealed the potential of student engagement in creative mathematical workthat demanded meta-awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. As the confidence to work mathematically wascommunicated by their peers, many students expressed a change in their attitudes to their own mathematicalcompetence and were more willing to engage with unknown or challenging mathematical tasks. The contribution ofthis study is twofold: finding ways of developing the students' creativity and enhancing their performance, andengaging them in an activity that made them realize the beauty, wealth, and elegance of mathematics, thus enhancingtheir self-efficacy to learn mathematics. We recommend providing students with opportunities to enhance theirmathematical creativity by using creative tasks.