F.E. Sasmita, T.Y.U.E. Siswono, N. Mariana
Introduction. One of the most essential skills for students to cultivate in the 21st century is creative thinking. In the context of education, particularly in mathematics, the development of creative thinking is indispensable for fostering innovation and problem-solving. However, traditional teaching approaches often fall short in promoting creativity. Collaborative problem-posing has emerged as a promising strategy to address this gap. Yet, existing research provides limited insight into its practical implementation, particularly at the elementary school level. Moreover, previous studies have indicated significant variations in the levels of creative thinking among participants within collaborative groups. Research methods. This study adopts an exploratory qualitative case study approach to examine the creative thinking capacities of elementary school students while collaborating in mathematical problem-posing. The study involved twenty fifth-grade students, categorized based on their level of mathematical competence (high, medium, and low). Data were collected through post-task problem-solving activities, focus group discussions (FGD), and individual interviews. The tasks required students to develop new problems based on open-ended mathematical scenarios. The data were analyzed using thematic coding, including data reduction, comparison, data building, and conclusion drawing, to provide a more holistic picture of the students' creative thinking processes and collaborative efforts. Results. The analysis revealed that students with varying abilities were able to solve several tasks, which included problem-solving and posing related questions at more complex levels. Most groups tended to answer and pose questions based on sources they researched, aligning content and themes with previously addressed problems. Students worked collaboratively, demonstrating responsibility for tasks assigned by their peers. Although the level of collaboration varied among the heterogeneous groups, those exhibiting the highest levels of collaboration also demonstrated stronger creative thinking abilities. Conclusion. The students were found to be highly creative in developing new problems and building miniature cities. Their success was largely attributed to their excellent communication and social skills, as well as positive group dynamics, which facilitated problem-posing activities. However, more emphasis could be placed on enhancing originality and novelty to further increase creativity in higher-level students. © (2025), (LLC Ecological Help). All rights reserved.
Department of Elementary Education, Faculty of Education Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Elementary Education, Faculty of Education Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
