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Working like real mathematicians: developing prospective teachers’ awareness of mathematical creativity through generating new concepts

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Abstract

This paper describes the experience of a group of 17 prospective mathematics teachers who were engaged in a series of activities aimed at developing their awareness of creativity in mathematics. This experience was initiated on the basis of ideas proposed by the participants regarding ways creativity of school students might be developed. Over a period of 6 weeks, they were engaged in inventing geometrical concepts and in the examination of their properties. The prospective teachers’ reflections upon the process they underwent indicate that they developed awareness of various aspects of creativity while deepening their mathematical and didactical knowledge.

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Notes

  1. The quotes were carefully translated from Hebrew, trying to maintain their intentions. Due to space limitations, I chose to include only excerpts that have a direct relevancy to the main issue of this paper.

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  1. Oranim Academic College of Education, Kiryat Tivon, Israel

    Atara Shriki

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  1. Atara Shriki
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Correspondence to Atara Shriki.

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Shriki, A. Working like real mathematicians: developing prospective teachers’ awareness of mathematical creativity through generating new concepts. Educ Stud Math 73, 159–179 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-009-9212-2

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