A study of the influence of relational representation on creative problem solving

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to show how students can enhance mathematical creativity. Flexibility is an important factor for creative problem solving. However, in the lesson of the present school mathematics, students’ flexible thinking is hardly used. We found that the inhibitory factor of students’ flexible idea. We analyzed the influence of fixation of a solution by using the problem of constructing a perpendicular bisector. We focused on the relationship between the intelligibility of learning contents and exertion of mathematical creativity. Students had the tendency to memorize a solution without understanding the mathematical background. We made a problem for overcoming students’ flexible thinking. When students used that problem, they were able to consider various solutions than the usual problem.