Learning focused on creative thinking is uncommon in school, mainly due to a lack of consensus on the definition of the creative thinking competency and a lack of effective methods designed for curric

The gap

Consensus across the literature

Supporting evidence — 4 representative gaps

• Capturing Students’ Creative Thinking: An Analysis of Middle Schoolers’ Processes in Solving Mathematical Reasoning Problems (2026) · doi

  Despite the valuable insights this study provides, several limitations should be acknowledged. This research employed a qualitative case study approach with a single class of students, and the in-depth analysis focused on four students representing different levels of creative thinking. Therefore, the findings may not fully represent the diversity of students’ creative thinking processes in broader educational contexts. In addition, the mathematical tasks used in this study were limited to number pattern problems involving triangular numbers, which may reveal only certain aspects of students’ creative thinking and reasoning processes. Future research could involve larger samples, different mathematical topics, and various types of problem-solving tasks to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of students’ creative thinking in mathematics learning. Further studies may also explore instructional strategies and learning environments that effectively foster students’ fluency, flexibility, and originality when solving mathematical reasoning problems. 4. CONCLUSION This study examined the creative thinking processes of junior high school students in solving mathematical reasoning problems related to number patterns. The findings indicate that students’ creative thinking can be categorized into four levels, including imitative, routine, creative, and very creative. Students at the imitative level tend to rely on 778 https://doi.org/10.58421/misro.v5i1.1187 memorized procedures and previously learned examples when solving problems, while students at the routine level apply familiar strategies but rarely explore alternative approaches. Students categorized as creative demonstrate greater flexibility by using multiple representations and strategies in solve problems, although their reasoning may still require teacher guidance. Meanwhile, very creative students demonstrate the highest level of creative thinking by constructing generalized rules and developing original solution strategies based on the information provided in the problem. These findings indicate that students’ creative thinking in mathematical reasoning develops progressively as students become more capable of generating ideas, exploring alternative strategies, and constructing generalized solutions. Therefore, mathematics learning should provide opportunities for students to explore patterns, use multiple representations, and develop their own solution strategies in order to support the development of creative thinking in mathematics. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors gratefully acknowledge the Institute for Research and Community Service (Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat/LPPM), Universitas Jambi, for providing financial support for this research u

  Keywords: students creative thinking strategies mathematical problems reasoning solving processes mathematics learning explore level four different
• How Unplugged Computational Thinking Shapes Students’ Creative Thinking: Evidence From the Human Nervous and Endocrine Systems (2026) · doi

  The sample group in this study was limited to 60 sixth-grade students attending a single public school located in the city center with a moderate level of academic achievement. In future studies, similar effects can be observed by conduct- ing research with larger sample groups and in schools with different levels of academic achievement or in rural areas. Another limitation of this study is that the assessment of students’ creative thinking dispositions relied primarily on self-report instruments. In addition, only quantitative analy- sis was used in this study, and future research can be sup- ported with qualitative data as well. Future research could include the triangulation of quantitative data with qualita- tive evidence, such as concrete examples of student work, project outcomes, or observations of engagement in creative tasks, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how unplugged CT supports creativity. In future stud- ies, in addition to investigating the impact of integrating unplugged CT activities into various science topics on cre- ative thinking skills, the effects on other 21st-century skills, such as analytical thinking, problem-solving, and systems thinking, can also be explored, not just creative thinking skills. In addition, while the current study was conducted with middle school students to examine the development of creativity skills, future studies could investigate the impact of unplugged CT activities on the development of creative thinking skills, which is a crucial ability for younger age groups, by applying these activities to primary school and preschool students.

  Keywords: thinking future skills students creative school addition unplugged activities sample academic achievement effects groups quantitative
• A Systematic Literature Review: Discipline-Specific and General Instructional Practices Fostering the Mathematical Creativity of Students (2021) · doi

  Although several studies have investigated the effects of various instructional practices influencing the mathematical creativity of students, little is known about how the findings of this collective body of research contribute to the understanding of what instructional practices should be integrated into a mathematic classroom to further foster the mathematical creativity of students.

  Keywords: instructional practices mathematical creativity students several investigated effects various influencing little known collective body contribute
• Imagine: Design for Creative Thinking, Learning, and Assessment in Schools (2020) · doi

  Learning focused on creative thinking is uncommon in school, mainly due to a lack of consensus on the definition of the creative thinking competency and a lack of effective methods designed for curriculum-embedded implementations of creative thinking learning and assessment in classrooms.

  Keywords: creative thinking learning lack focused uncommon school mainly consensus definition competency effective designed curriculum embedded