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Mathematical Creativity and Society

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Mathematical Creativity

Part of the book series: Research in Mathematics Education ((RME))

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Abstract

Conceptions of mathematical creativity and their implicit and explicit value in society are discussed. In this chapter, the construct of mathematical creativity is discussed in relation to its value to greater society through the lens of national standards documents, as well as mathematics educators and policymakers. In specific, the chasm between how society views mathematical creativity (i.e., as quite important), the manner in which it is emphasized in mathematics standards documents (again, as quite important), and lack of resources invested in it from educational administrators, enjoys a rather large disparity. In practicality, policymakers and academicians assert the relative importance of mathematical creativity, but scant resources in the form of time and money are invested when it comes to engendering it in the mathematics classroom. In this chapter, this chasm is explored. In addition, the organizational framework for the book is outlined and readers will gain a deepened conception of mathematical creativity through the lens of development. Creativity in mathematics is not as homogeneous as perhaps thought when one analyzes the processes, as well as accompanying products, involved in ages 5–12, 13–18, and 19–23. This is because mathematics becomes increasingly sophisticated as learners age and the domains of mathematics are subtly altered from predominately number sense and operations to more complex domains such as algebra, geometry, and calculus, in addition to requiring myriad types of reasoning and processes, such as mathematical modeling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Scott A. Chamberlin

  2. Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA

    Anna Payne

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  1. Scott A. Chamberlin
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Correspondence to Scott A. Chamberlin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Scott A. Chamberlin

  2. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Peter Liljedahl

  3. University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

    Miloš Savić

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Chamberlin, S.A., Payne, A. (2022). Mathematical Creativity and Society. In: Chamberlin, S.A., Liljedahl, P., Savić, M. (eds) Mathematical Creativity . Research in Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14474-5_3

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