The Roles of Intelligence and Creativity for Learning Mathematics

Learning mathematics is a long-term process that is influenced by a variety of psychological factors including various cognitive abilities. In this chapter, we examine the relevance of two well-established ability constructs in this process: intelligence and creativity. At the beginning, we introduce both constructs and address the question of how intelligence and creativity are related to each other. Afterward, we focus on research on creativity in the mathematical domain. In addition to describing how mathematical creativity has been measured we provide empirical evidence for the strong relationship between mathematical creativity and mathematical achievement. Then, we provide an overview of two recent models on mathematical learning and development in which intelligence and creativity are integrated. Against this background, we review empirical findings on the actual roles of constructs for learning mathematics in typically developing individuals, individuals with mathematical learning difficulties, and mathematically gifted individuals. Both intelligence and creativity are strongly relevant factors in learning mathematics, and not only show associations with mathematical achievement but can also predict mathematical development. These findings appear to hold true for the entire range of mathematical performance. Finally, we briefly address the question of whether enhancing intelligence and creativity can effectively support mathematics learning. While interventions to enhance intelligence to foster mathematics learning do not seem to be promising, high-quality mathematics instruction that includes the encouragement of students to think creatively remains the first and most important way to advance mathematical achievement.