The students’ creative thinking process in solving mathematics problem based on wallas’ stages

Abstract

Knowing the students’ creative thinking process in solving mathematics problem is so important for the teacher, so that teacher is able to detect the students’ error. This qualitative research aims to describe the students’ creative thinking process in solving probability problem based on Wallas’s stages. This research can be used as an educational reference and help teachers to motivate their students to improve their creative thinking process in solving mathematical problems. The subject of this study consists of 3 students from Matthayom 3/1 Thailand, which have fair (S1), low (S2), and very low (S3) ability in problem solving skill. The data is collected by test and interview. This research indicates that in preparation stage, S1 is able to convey the known and asked data. S2 tends to explain what is known and asked using similar sentences which contains on the question. S3 is not able to explain what is initial information completely. In incubation stage, S1 can easily think the solution, though it is wrong. S2 thinks for a while to get the solution and focusing on the other things that are not meaningful. S3 is silent for long time to think the problems’ solution. In illumination stage, S1 and S2 get idea to solve the problem, but the result is wrong. S3 fails to find any ideas to solve it. In verification stage, S1 re-check the solution before drawing the proper conclusion, although it is not suitable on the question. S2 and S3 do not re-check the answer written.