Broadening views of mathematical creativity: Inclusion of the undergraduate student perspective

Abstract

Numerous conceptions of creativity exist in the literature; yet these are commonly based on the perspectives of professional mathematicians. Including students’ perspectives in creativity is crucial not only for a more robust picture of what it means to be creative but also to combat damaging dominant narratives about who can be creative. We examined calculus students’ views of mathematical creativity, a group not often considered in the creativity literature, to broaden future considerations of creativity. Interviews with N=55 calculus students across various institutions were conducted. Results show six emergent wide-ranging themes of these students' creativity views: actions and attitudes, application, different ways, originality, outside authority, and understanding. Of these six themes, understanding was striking due to a clear distinction between students who felt understanding was required first to be creative and students who felt creativity could lead to better understanding. Our themes provide insight into what may resonate for some students, which may serve as coding parameters in qualitative and quantitative studies for researchers conducting future work about mathematical creativity.