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. 2025 Oct 1;15(10):1346.
doi: 10.3390/bs15101346.

From Thinking to Creativity: The Interplay of Mathematical Thinking Perceptions, Mathematical Communication Dispositions, and Creative Thinking Dispositions

Murat Genç  1 , Mustafa Akıncı  1 , İlhan Karataş  1 , Özgür Murat Çolakoğlu  2 , Nurbanu Yılmaz Tığlı  1
Affiliations

From Thinking to Creativity: The Interplay of Mathematical Thinking Perceptions, Mathematical Communication Dispositions, and Creative Thinking Dispositions

Murat Genç et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Fostering mathematical thinking, communication, and creativity has become a central goal in mathematics education as these competencies are strongly linked to flexible problem solving and innovative engagement. Prior research has shown that students' beliefs and dispositions play a crucial role in shaping their learning, strategy use, and persistence, yet limited evidence exists on how these constructs interrelate among pre-service elementary mathematics teachers. Addressing this gap, the present study examines the relationships among mathematical thinking perceptions, mathematical communication dispositions, and creative thinking dispositions. A correlational survey design was employed to test a hypothetical model developed within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM). Data were collected from 615 pre-service teachers. Analyses involved descriptive statistics, correlations, and predictive algorithms via IBM SPSS Statistics 24, along with standardized regression coefficients and fit indices using AMOS. The results revealed that while perceptions of problem-solving and higher-order thinking predicted creative thinking dispositions both directly and indirectly, perceptions of reasoning did so only indirectly through mathematical communication. Mathematical communication dispositions had the strongest direct effect on creative thinking dispositions, underscoring their mediating role. These findings highlight the importance of fostering communication alongside creativity in teacher education, thereby equipping future teachers to promote creative thinking through cognitive, social, and representational processes.

Keywords: creative thinking; mathematical communication; mathematical thinking; structural equation modeling.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypothesized mediation path model for creative thinking dispositions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Path model of the effects of perceptions of mathematical thinking on creative thinking dispositions through mathematical communication dispositions. Note: All path coefficients in the model were found to be statistically significant from zero at the 0.001 level (two-tailed).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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