The Development of Grade 4 Students’ Mathematical Creativity Using Lesson Study and Open Approach

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to improve mathematical creativity of Grade 4 students consisting of creative thinking and creativity attitude using the lesson study and open approach. This qualitative research made use of protocol analysis and analytic description in describing changes made by students. The quantitative research methodology was also adopted to analyze students’ mathematical creativity. Research participants included a total of student 153, 26 Grade 4 students of Ban Pa Klok School under supervision of Phuket Primary Education Service Area Office, and 127 Grade 4 students of Uttarakij School under Krabi Primary Education Service Area Office in the 2017 academic year. Both qualitative data, including interview protocols, photos, and field records by the researcher and quantitative data, including data from the mathematical creativity test, and assessment of attitude towards mathematical creativity, were analyzed. Data analysis was based on mathematical creativity assessment framework of Saito (2008).

The research findings revealed that: the open approach method of teaching improved students’ mathematical creativity, which could be seen from the fact that: 1) the students dared to think differently and felt more comfortable expressing their opinions, had more self-confidence, dared to speak in front of the class, were more enthusiastic to participate in classroom activities, and their scores in all components of mathematical creativity improved from those before introduction of the open approach; and 2) the students’ attitude toward mathematical creativity improved. The students’ behaviors that changed the most were that they tried to thinking method before solving the problems, and they were confident in their thinking method.