The Mathematics Self-Belief and Mathematical Creativity ofPre-Service Teachers

The Mediating Role of Problem-Solving Skills

Abstract

Problem-solving is the heart of mathematics which compels an individual to think critically, logically, and show creativity while solving various problems. It is also important to study the students’ beliefs about mathematics to better understand how a student learns to solve problems. As a result, this study aimed to determine the mediating role of problem-solving skills between mathematics self-belief and mathematical creativity of mathematics pre-service teachers. Specifically, a descriptive-correlational with mediation analysis research design was employed. A cluster sampling method was utilized since 153 pre-service teachers from two campuses were used in the study. A self-report survey, test, and rubrics were used to gather data. The results revealed that a full mediation exists since the mathematics self-belief had no significant direct effect on the student's mathematical creativity. It also showed that mathematics self-belief had a significant effect on problem-solving skills, and problem-solving skills significantly affected the mathematical creativity of the students. Hence, mathematics self-belief indirectly affected mathematical creativity, confirming the full mediation effect of problem-solving skills. Future researchers may conduct a similar study by comparing the mathematics self-belief, problem-solving skills, and mathematical creativity of pre-service teachers according to year level.