Children love to explore the world through construction and creativity, learning through experimentation with objects and materials. It is interesting to reflect on how the act of making, creating and crafting can be useful from a maths perspective. We know that, in infancy, the development of fine motor skills is a key milestone in acquiring conceptual and mathematical understanding (Gashaj & Trninic, 2023). Additionally, a study in Finland (where there is a strong crafting tradition) has identified broader psychological benefits of practical and creative crafting across all age groups (Huotilainen et al., 2018). This post describes a creative approach used with student teachers (who work with children aged 4 to 12 years) in Scotland, where maths is a priority area in policy terms.

Maths positivity in Scotland

In 2016 the Making Maths Count group was set up to help transform Scotland into a ‘maths positive nation’ (Scottish Government, 2016). Developing teachers’ confidence to deliver mathematics formed one of the recommendations. In addition, it is known that teachers can have a significant impact on students’ attitudes towards mathematics by providing a positive and innovative learning environment (Boaler, 2015). So, how can an initial teacher education programme help prospective teachers develop maths positivity, and could creativity help?

Student teachers’ experiences

At the beginning of last semester, I asked my students (who are training to become primary school teachers) to tell me how they felt about maths. It was no surprise that there was a whole range of responses, from enjoyment and confidence to feelings of dread! On delving a little deeper, some students described how their experiences of maths within school had ‘knocked their confidence’. Despite all my students having met, or exceeded, the course entry requirements for primary teaching (National 5 Mathematics) many talked about just being ‘no good at maths’.

A creative approach

When we think about creativity in maths, we tend to think about creative approaches to problem-solving. However, from my experiences of teaching Design and Technology, I have observed how hands-on, practical skills and model-making can also provide real opportunities for exploration, experimentation and creativity. This is especially true when moving between the concept of 2-dimensions and 3-dimensions (for example, a preliminary sketch to a prototype) where ideas can almost ‘come to life’. In my current role as teacher educator, I wanted to explore how practical tasks could foster creativity (and positivity) within maths. With this in mind, I developed a series of ‘makes’ to enable students to design their own maths manipulatives (the use of maths manipulatives is well established in maths education). Models included place value-sliders, multiplication wheels, division booklets and foldables; each included a 2D to 3D or moveable element (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Example ‘makes’

Alongside the process of making, students were encouraged to think creatively and explore how they could adapt these approaches to suit their own practice. For each group of students, informal feedback was generally positive. Anecdotally, students commented that they now felt more positive about teaching maths and were looking forward to trying new ideas in class.

‘Anecdotally, students commented that they now felt more positive about teaching maths and were looking forward to trying new ideas in class.’

Positive attitudes

Of course, creative teaching does not automatically translate into creative learning (Jeffrey & Craft, 2014) and more research is needed to explore potential links between maths positivity and hands-on practical tasks. However, despite the national shift in emphasis away from craft skills in Scotland (Royal Society of Edinburgh, 2023), there remains a deeply human link between our minds, hands and emotions. Exploring how we can harness these connections to help us make sense of the world, could have benefits for maths teachers and learners of all ages, wherever they are based.

References

Boaler, J. (2015). Fluency without fear: Research evidence on the best ways to learn math facts. Reflections, 40(2), 7–12. https://www.youcubed.org/evidence/fluency-without-fear/

Gashaj V, & Trninic D. (2023). Adding up fine motor skills: Developmental relations between manual dexterity and numerical abilities. Acta Psychologica, 241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104087

Huotilainen, M., Rankanen, M., Groth, C., Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P., & Mäkelä, M. (2018). Why our brains love arts and crafts: Implications of creative practices on psychophysical well-being. FormAkademisk, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.1908

Jeffrey, B., & Craft, A. (2004). Teaching creatively and teaching for creativity: distinctions and relationships. Educational Studies, 30(1), 77–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305569032000159750

Royal Society of Edinburgh. (2023). Pillars and lintels: The what’s, why’s and how’s of interdisciplinary learning. https://rse.org.uk/pillars-lintels-interdisciplinary-learning/

Scottish Government. (2016). Transforming Scotland into a maths positive nation: Final report of the Making Maths Count group. https://www.gov.scot/publications/transforming-scotland-maths-positive-nation-final-report-making-maths-count/pages/4/