Creativity from Two Perspectives: Prospective Mathematics Teachers and Mathematician

Although creativity plays a critical role in mathematics, it remains underestimated in the context of a mathematics classroom. This study aims to explore the views and differences creativity displays in prospective teachers and one of their lecturers with respect to the characteristics and practices of creative teachers and the characteristics of creative students. We collected data through interviews with four prospective mathematics teachers and one mathematics lecturer. The study results revealed that their perspectives on creativity varied greatly and were mostly influenced by the characteristics of their diverse backgrounds and teaching practices. The views of the prospective mathematics teachers with respect to creativity were related to classroom activities prepared by teachers and students’ approaches to problem solving. The lecturer appreciated focusing on the process rather than the product itself. The lecturer did not consider the nature of being creative to be an absolute necessity for a prospective mathematics teacher, and consequently, the lecturer’s preferences regarding classroom materials affected the prospective teachers’ views regarding creativity.