Approaches to the teaching of creative and non-creative mathematical problems

Abstract

This study investigated the approaches to teaching by three fifth-grade teachers’ of creative and non-creative mathematical problems for fractions. The teachers’ personal constructs of the two kinds of problems were elicited by interviews through the use of the repertory grid technique. All the teaching was observed and video-recorded. Results revealed that the teachers had slightly distinctive constructs of creative and non-creative problems, and professed a greater preference for creative problems. Based on the teachers’ creations of problems in classrooms and related features, the study identified three types of teaching approaches: liberal, reasoning, and skill approaches. The liberal approach appeared to indicate the most appropriate teaching methods for creative problems.