The development of mathematical creativity across high school: Increasing, decreasing, or both?

Abstract

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and a broader digital transformation of society is driving both a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education as well as a recognition that creativity is a prerequisite for employment in the 21st century. Together, these elements are the catalyst for a key question: what is the impact of school education, in its broadest sense, on the development of STEM-based creativity in children? To shed greater light on this question, this study focuses on mathematical creativity in children across grades six-12, at a large Australian school. The study reported in this paper found that although mathematical creativity increases from year to year, there is a significant within-year decline in creativity. This paper explores possible explanations for this decline, suggesting that it is driven by a combination of environmental, personal, and process-related factors present in the context of school education. The study sheds light on the relationship between the development of mathematical creativity in high school students, and the factors that may impede this development.