Strategies proposed by preservice teachers to foster their students’ creativity

Abstract

In this study, we aim to analyse the preservice teachers’ perspectives on creativity, in particular, if they consider that creativity can be developed, and their strategies to foster students’ creativity. The participants are 43 preservice teachers who were taking a master’s degree to become teachers of secondary school. The master’s program did not include a specific training in creativity. They answered a questionnaire about creativity and then three of them were interviewed. We did a content analysis of their answers. Most of the preservice teachers think that creativity can (and should) be developed in the mathematics classroom. They suggest different strategies to foster students’ creativity that agree with literature, but solving open-ended problems stands out among the rest of strategies.