Developing Test Tools to Analyze and DiagnoseMathematical Creativity in Elementary Students Author:Lee-Chou Chen
Research Article
The main purpose of this study was to develop a set of test tools to analyze and diagnose mathematical creativity of elementary students. The subjects were 5th and 6th graders from an elementary school. Based on Sternberg’s Three-factor Model of Creativity and the mathematical learning materials for elementary students, a test battery of mathematical creativity was developed which included Mathematics and Logical Words Scale, Automatic Mathematical Problem-Solving Scale, Figure Analogical Reasoning Scale, Mathematics Mapping Scale, Meta-Cognitive Ability Scale, and Creativity Behavior Scale. These tools were used to analyze and diagnose the mathematical creativity of elementary students. The findings indicate that:(1) the devised test battery was good in reliability and validity in analyzing and diagnosing the mathematical creativity of elementary students; (2) this battery is comprised of the cognitive components of novelty, insight, automaticity, analogical thinking and meta-cognitive ability; (3) high meta-cognition students and field-independents scored higher than low meta-cognition students and field-dependents, respectively, in all components of mathematical creativity, while high creativity students scored higher than low creativity students in several components of it; and (4) mathematical achievement was closely related to mathematical creativity, due to common components in mathematical problem-solving such as meta-cognitive ability, automaticity, novelty and analogical reasoning.