Five college students' involvement in creating mathematics and the resulting effects on their perceptions of the nature of mathematics, on their perceptions of their creative ability, and on their creative behavior

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Billie W. Goodman (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
A. Edward Uprichard

Abstract: This study was concerned with the development of original material, called triometry, a variation of trigonometry, and its use as reference material in a teaching experiment in creating mathematics. The expressed purposes of triometry were to give undergraduate mathematics or mathematics education majors exposure to new mathematical ideas, to serve as a medium through which students could engage in creating their own mathematics, and to change students' personal beliefs about the nature of mathematics and their own abilities to be creative. The teaching experiment was one half of a semester course of specials topics in mathematics offered as an elective. The subjects were five undergraduates who were either majoring or minoring in mathematics or mathematics education. The materials were evaluated by four professional mathematics educators as well as the subjects themselves. Evidences of changes in the perceptions and creative behaviors of the subjects were collected from surveys, interviews, questionnaires, student journals, assignments, and observations and were analyzed qualitatively.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1992
Subjects
Mathematics $x Study and teaching (Higher)
Creative ability

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