Mathematical Modeling Process as an Activity Requiring Creativity

The aim of this study is to address creativity as a measurable and conceptually assessable dimension by incorporating it into the processes of modeling competence. For this purpose, real-world problem situations requiring creativity were employed to evaluate the enriched structure. Usefulness, fluency, and originality were indicators of creativity in solving real-world problems. The study was conducted by addressing both qualitative and quantitative dimensions of the research process. The research participants consist of 60 students taking the modeling course in mathematics teaching at the undergraduate level. The participants, selected through criterion sampling, completed their work individually during the data collection process. The findings of the study revealed that students’ mathematical modeling (MM) competencies varied depending on the difficulty level and content structure of the tasks. A significant and consistent relationship was identified among the dimensions of usefulness, fluency, and originality in students' performance across all tasks. Overall, the findings reveal that creativity indicators—such as usefulness, fluency, and originality—should be integrated into the structure of MM competencies, and they contribute to opening a new avenue for future modeling studies in this direction.