An-Najah National University 

Faculty of Graduate Studies 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

EXPLORING EIGHT – NINTH GRADE 

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES,  

AND PRACTICES: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON 

CREATIVITY, CHALLENGES, AND PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT IN PALESTINIAN CLASSROOMS 
 

 
 

By 

Sultan Amin Issa Kowkas 

 

 
Supervisors 

Prof. Saida Affouneh  

Prof. Daniel Burgos 
 
 

This Dissertation is submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the 

Degree of PhD in Learning and Education, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah 

National University, Nablus, Palestine. 
 

2024 



 

ii 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 
EXPLORING EIGHT – NINTH GRADE 

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES,  

AND PRACTICES: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON 

CREATIVITY, CHALLENGES, AND PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT IN PALESTINIAN CLASSROOMS 
 

 
By 

Sultan Amin Issa Kowkas 

 
 

This Dissertation was Defended Successfully on 30/12/2024 and approved by 

 

Prof. Saida Affouneh 

Supervisor 

 

Signature 

Prof. Daniel Burgos 

Co-Supervisor 

 

Signature 

Dr. Natalia Padilla 

External Examiner 

 

Signature 

Prof. Naji Qatanani 

Internal Examiner 

 

Signature 

Dr. Soheil Salha 

Internal Examiner 

 

Signature 



 

iii 

 

Najah National University-An 

Faculty of Graduate Studies 
 

 

 

 

 
 

EXPLORING EIGHT – NINTH GRADE 

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES,  

AND PRACTICES: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON 

CREATIVITY, CHALLENGES, AND PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT IN PALESTINIAN CLASSROOMS 
 

 
 

By 

Sultan Amin Issa Kowkas 

 

 
Supervisors 

Prof. Saida Affouneh  

Prof. Daniel Burgos 

 
In accordance with An-Najah National University Deans Council regulations for the 

award of Doctor of Philosophy, the following paper has been published after its 

extraction from the dissertation: 

Kowkas, S. (2025) The Impact of Teachers’ Gender, Education, and Experience on 

Fostering Mathematical Creativity: A Quantitative Study. Journal Mathematics and 

Informatic. No. 3.  

  



 

iv 

Dedication 

To the souls of my parents, whose everlasting memories are the source of my 

inspiration. Your unbounded love, incomparable sacrifices, wise guidance and 

continuous encouragement were always the factors of every success I have achieved. 

To my dear sisters and brothers, for your encouragement and support while carrying out 

this work. 

To my beloved wife and kids, for your patience, support, help and understanding during 

this journey. For giving up lots of the fun time that I was supposed to spend with you 

and I have spent it on my studies. 

Finally, to the free will, to the unrestrained minds and to Creative thinking, especially in 

Mathematics learning, the core of this research and the thrust behind innovation in 

Mathematics Education. May this work contribute to the transformative strength of 

creativity in releasing hidden potential of learners and to the development of 

Mathematics Education. 

  



 

v 

Acknowledgement 

All gratitude to Allah, for all the uncountable grace and blessing. His will and providence 

that made this work possible.  

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisors and role models, Prof. 

Saida Affouneh and Prof. Daniel Burgos for their invaluable guidance, continuous 

support, constructive feedback and warm encouragements. Any significant, distinct 

output of this work is due to their contribution part. So, from the deepest feeling of my 

heart, thank you!  

My special gratitude and thanks to Prof. Jyoti Sharma, University of Delhi, for her 

guidance and insights about Mathematical Creativity that she has offered me at the early 

stages of conducting this research. Similarly, great appreciation and thanks to the 

reviewers of the questionnaire: Prof. Nabil Aljondi, Hebron University, Dr. Abdulrahman 

Abu Sarah, Al-Quds University, Prof. Mohammad Alnatheer, King Saud University, Dr. 

Huda Shayeb, Al-Qasemi Academic College, Dr. Awad Altarawneh, Hashemite 

University, Prof. Misfer Alsalouli, King Saud University and Dr. Nawal Al-Rajeh, 

Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University for their precious comments and 

constructive feedback.    

I would also like to thank the translation team for their help and contribution to the 

translation and the back-translation of the interviews (from Arabic to English and 

backward). The team consisted of Mr. Nader Neiroukh, an English instructor, Mr. Abed 

el afou Ansari, An English instructor and Miss. Ranin Jojas, an official translator.  

Special thanks to the official supervisors of Mathematics teachers for their feedback and 

valuable comments on the Mathematical Creativity Methodology. These supervisors are: 

Mr. Hazem Ajaj, Mr. Kareem Al-Ardah, Mr. Muhannad Salman, and Miss. Azhar 

Shalabi.  

I would also like to thank Mr. Murad Bannoura and Mrs. Bushra Nakleh for their great 

help in distributing the questionnaire to several teacher groups. Additionally, special 

thanks to all the teachers who participated in the interviews (their names are kept 

confident in accordance with their request).  



 

vi 

Declaration 

I, the undersigned, declare that I submitted the thesis entitled: 

EXPLORING EIGHT – NINTH GRADE 

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES,  

AND PRACTICES: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON 

CREATIVITY, CHALLENGES, AND PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT IN PALESTINIAN CLASSROOMS 
 
 

I declare that the work provided in this Dissertation, unless otherwise referenced, is the 

researcher’s own work, and has not been submitted elsewhere for any other degree or 

qualification. 

 

 

 

 

  



 

vii 

Table of Contents 

 

_Toc202349384Dedication .............................................................................................. iv 

Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................ v 

Declaration ....................................................................................................................... vi 

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ vii 

List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xi 

List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xii 

List of Appendices ......................................................................................................... xiii 

Abstract .......................................................................................................................... xiv 

Chapter One: Introduction and Theoretical Background .......................................... 1 

Background ....................................................................................................................... 1 

Creativity .......................................................................................................................... 2 

Mathematical Creativity ................................................................................................... 3 

Factors Affecting Mathematical Creativity ...................................................................... 4 

Teachers’ Perspectives ...................................................................................................... 6 

Mathematics Teaching Practices ...................................................................................... 7 

Challenges in Mathematics Education .............................................................................. 9 

Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers ..................................................... 9 

Palestinian Education Context ........................................................................................ 10 

Definitions of Concepts .................................................................................................. 11 

Mathematics Education ................................................................................................... 11 

Creativity ........................................................................................................................ 11 

Mathematical Creativity ................................................................................................. 12 

Teachers’ Perspectives .................................................................................................... 12 

Teachers’ Instructional Practices that Foster MC among Students ................................ 13 

Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 13 

Rational and Purpose of the Study .................................................................................. 14 

Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 15 

Research Hypothesis ....................................................................................................... 16 

Qualitative Research Hypothesis .................................................................................... 16 



 

viii 

Quantitative Research Hypothesis .................................................................................. 16 

Summary ......................................................................................................................... 16 

Chapter Two: Methodology ......................................................................................... 18 

Planned Study Design ..................................................................................................... 18 

Mixed-Methods Approach .............................................................................................. 18 

Challenges Encountered ................................................................................................. 19 

Quantitative Phase: Questionnaire .................................................................................. 19 

Study Population (Participants) ...................................................................................... 20 

Sampling ......................................................................................................................... 20 

Data Collection Procedure .............................................................................................. 21 

Sampling Process ............................................................................................................ 21 

Response Rate ................................................................................................................. 22 

Designing the Questionnaire ........................................................................................... 22 

Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 25 

Qualitative Phase: Interviews ......................................................................................... 31 

Semi-structured interviews ............................................................................................. 31 

Research Design and Rational ........................................................................................ 31 

Participants ...................................................................................................................... 31 

Sampling ......................................................................................................................... 32 

Data Collection ............................................................................................................... 32 

Interview Guide .............................................................................................................. 33 

Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 34 

Integration of Findings .................................................................................................... 36 

Summary ......................................................................................................................... 36 

Chapter Three: Results ................................................................................................ 38 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 38 

Quantitative Results ........................................................................................................ 38 

Demographic Characteristics of the Sample for the Quantitative Method ..................... 39 

Descriptive Statistics ....................................................................................................... 39 

Exploring teaching practices by Teachers’ Gender ........................................................ 40 



 

ix 

Exploring teaching practices by Teachers’ Academic Degree ....................................... 41 

Exploring teaching practices by Teachers’ Seniority levels ........................................... 43 

Validity and Reliability ................................................................................................... 44 

Assumptions Tests .......................................................................................................... 44 

Correlation Analysis between teachers’ teaching practices and teachers demographic 

variables (gender, academic degree and seniority) ......................................................... 49 

Addressing the Last Four Research Questions ............................................................... 51 

Qualitative Results .......................................................................................................... 67 

Coding Analysis .............................................................................................................. 68 

Summary ......................................................................................................................... 91 

Chapter Four: Discussion and Conclusion ................................................................. 93 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 93 

Quantitative and Qualitative Methods ............................................................................ 93 

Quantitative Method ....................................................................................................... 93 

Qualitative Method ......................................................................................................... 93 

Summary of Key Findings .............................................................................................. 94 

Discussion of Key Findings ............................................................................................ 94 

Key findings from the Qualitative Analysis ................................................................... 94 

Key findings from the Quantitative Analysis ............................................................... 101 

Teaching Practices Developed by the Researcher ........................................................ 106 

Extreme-Case problems and Paradox problems ........................................................... 106 

Pattern Problems ........................................................................................................... 110 

Employing a State of Rumination Task (SORT) after School...................................... 113 

Mathematical Creativity Methodology (MCM) ........................................................... 117 

State of the art for the MCM ......................................................................................... 117 

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 117 

Core Components of the MCM .................................................................................... 119 

Practical Implementation of the MCM ......................................................................... 122 

Reviewing the MCM .................................................................................................... 127 

Implications for Theory and Practice ............................................................................ 129 

Theoretical implications ............................................................................................... 129 



 

x 

Practical Implications ................................................................................................... 130 

Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 131 

Comparison with Other Studies .................................................................................... 132 

Main Contribution to the Field of Mathematical Education ......................................... 138 

Limitations of the study ................................................................................................ 140 

Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 141 

List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................. 145 

References .................................................................................................................... 146 

Appendices ................................................................................................................... 159 

 ب ................................................................................................................................ الملخص

 

  



 

xi 

List of Tables 

 

_Toc202349384Table 1: Composition of the questionnaire items ................................. 22 

Table 2: Mann-Whitney Test Statistics between male and female teachers (Gender) ... 52 

Table 3: Test Statistics for the Kruskal-Wallis H test, with respect to Academic 

degree ................................................................................................................ 54 

Table 4: The mean rank and sum of ranks between B.A. and B.Ed.. across all teaching 

practices ............................................................................................................ 56 

Table 5: The Mann-Whitney U Test comparison between B.A. and M.A. of the Academic 

degree ................................................................................................................ 57 

Table 6: The Mann-Whitney U Test comparison between B.A. and PhD of the Academic 

degree ................................................................................................................ 58 

Table 7: Test Statistics for the Kruskal-Wallis H test, with respect to Seniority ........... 60 

Table 8: The Mann-Whitney U Test comparison between (1-5) and (6-10) years’ 

experience across all teaching practices ........................................................... 62 

Table 9: The Mann-Whitney U Test comparison between (1-5) and (> 10) years’ 

experience across all teaching practices ........................................................... 63 

Table 10: The Mann-Whitney U Test comparison between (6-10) years and (> 10) years’ 

experience across all teaching practices ........................................................... 64 

 

  



 

xii 

List of Figures 

 

_Toc202349384Figure 1: A geometry problem presented to the seventh graders ....... 107 

Figure 2: An 8 by 8 square has an area = 82 = 64 𝑐𝑚2 ............................................. 108 

Figure 3: After rearranging the square components, a 13 cm by 5 cm rectangle, area =
13 × 5 = 65 𝑐𝑚2 ........................................................................................ 109 

Figure 4: Solutions of three different students .............................................................. 110 

Figure 5: The pattern problem as presented to students ............................................... 111 

Figure 6: The pattern problem presented on the board, along with students’ solutions 111 

Figure 7: Solutions of two students for the pattern problem, each of different 

approache ..................................................................................................... 113 

Figure 8: Three different SORT activities by students ................................................. 115 

Figure 9: A sample of an OMSD .................................................................................. 124 

Figure 10: An illustration of employing MCM in the classroom ................................. 126 

 

  



 

xiii 

List of Appendices 

 

_Toc202349384Appendix A: Quantitative Survey Instruments and Participant 

Demographics ............................................................................................................... 159 

Appendix B: Qualitative Interview Protocols and Participant Profiles Framework ..... 162 

Appendix C: Quantitative Statistical Analysis Outputs ................................................ 165 

Appendix D: Multivariate Test Results ........................................................................ 188 

Appendix E: A Scientific Questionnaire ...................................................................... 189 

Appendix F: Certificate of acceptance of the research extracted from the dissertation 197 

 

  



 

xiv 

EXPLORING EIGHT – NINTH GRADE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS' 

PERSPECTIVES, AND PRACTICES: A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON 

CREATIVITY, CHALLENGES, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

IN PALESTINIAN CLASSROOMS 

By 

Sultan Amin Issa Kowkas 

Supervisors 

Prof. Saida Affouneh  

Prof. Daniel Burgos 

Abstract 

Introduction: The concept of creativity is multifaceted and constantly evolving as it is 

interpreted differently across various disciplines and cultures, resulting in a diverse array 

of viewpoints, from the notion of divine inspiration embraced by early philosophers to 

the modern ideas of originality and problem-solving abilities. Through this dissertation, 

the researcher delve into a thorough investigation of creativity within the realm of 

mathematics education, specifically examining the perspectives and methods of 

Palestinian math teachers in eighth and ninth grade classrooms.  In the context of 

mathematics, creativity manifests in a distinct manner of that in Art and 

Literature, blending newness with practicality and displaying agility, adaptability, and 

ingenuity in thought. There is an inevitable conclusion that mathematical creativity entails 

a fusion of originality and significance. This comprised of three essential qualities: 

fluency, flexibility, and originality. It is worth noting that mathematical intelligence and 

creativity have a complementary relationship, with each strengthening the other. 

Objectives: This research aims to delve into the perceptions and methods of Palestinian 

math teachers teaching eighth and ninth graders, with a focus on nurturing Mathematical 

Creativity (MC). The researcher also seeks to investigate factors that influence these 

teaching practices.  

Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was utilized, incorporating both quantitative 

and qualitative data collection techniques. In order to quantitatively evaluate their 

opinions and approaches towards MC, a questionnaire was administered to mathematics 

teachers. Furthermore, comprehensive interviews were conducted to gain a profound 

qualitative understanding of their experiences and teaching methods.  



 

xv 

Main Results: The research discovered that female teachers, teachers with B.A.  degree, 

and teachers with more experience were more inclined to use creative teaching methods. 

Main difficulties consisted of inflexible textbooks, short time, and overcrowded 

classrooms. Even with these challenges, successful approaches like problem posing and 

practical applications were recognized. Nevertheless, there were no notable interactions 

between educational attainment and years of experience, underscoring the importance of 

personalized training opportunities. 

Contribution: The researcher proposed three innovating teaching practices to 

accompany the known teaching practices to foster Mathematical Creativity. In addition 

to a new teaching methodology that was reviewed by official supervisors of Mathematics 

teachers.    

Conclusion: This research emphasizes the significance of promoting MC in schools with 

specialized training and adaptable curriculums. Improving in these areas can boost 

creative teaching methods, ultimately creating a more innovative and engaging learning 

atmosphere for students. 

Keywords: Mathematical Creativity, Teachers’ practices, Fostering creativity, 

Palestinian Math teachers, eighth – ninth grades Palestinian students

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

1 

Chapter One 

Introduction and Theoretical Background 

Along the ongoing gradually evolving stage of Education, Mathematics teachers play a 

crucial role in nurturing Creativity, addressing up-coming obstacles and promoting their 

professional development. This dissertation explores the perspectives and practices of 

eight to ninth-grade Mathematics teachers in Palestinian classrooms. As these teachers 

engage in a complex educational environment, they face a multitude of opportunities and 

challenges that are specific to the Palestinian context. By exploring these teachers’ 

experiences and insights, this study aims to shed light on the connections and interactions 

between Creativity, teachers’ perceptions and practices, and professional development in 

the field of Palestinian Mathematics education. Thus, this dissertation aims to provide a 

deeper understanding and useful insights for researchers, Palestinian educators, and 

policy makers in the pathway for improving the quality of Mathematics education in 

Palestine.  

Background 

In the field of Mathematics Education, fostering Creativity among students has long been 

highlighted by educational researchers for its significance as an aspect of Mathematical 

thinking (Sawyer & Henriksen, 2023). Creative thinking in Mathematics is the core of 

rational thinking in every subject in general and in science particularly. Thus, fostering 

Creativity in Mathematics leads to fostering learning in general. Here comes the 

importance of exploring Creativity in Mathematics in order to guide Mathematics 

educators and help them cultivate MC among students, even at an early age (Haavold, 

2018).  

In this Literature Review section, a comprehensive summary of previous studies that are 

related to the main aspects of the existing body of research. The current research focuses 

on the main knots of Creativity, MC, teachers’ practices that foster MC and teachers’ 

perspectives about MC.  

Therefore, having this Literature Review as a cornerstone upon which the current study 

would rely. Synthesizing various web-knots from the literature, making rational 

connections and synthesizing the trends and theoretical frameworks in order to build a 



 

2 

roadmap for the exploration of Palestinian eighth and ninth-grade mathematics teachers' 

perspectives, practices, and professional development experiences.  

Through the following pages, I will illustrate a thorough intellectual pathway through the 

complexities of Creativity in Mathematics education, the dynamic interactions between 

teachers' perspectives and practices. With an emphasis on fostering Creativity among 

students, my goal is to improve Mathematics teaching in Palestinian classrooms through 

this research. Additionally, I hope to make a valuable contribution to the realm of 

Mathematics Education, both locally and globally.  

Creativity  

Is there a consensus among people on the conception of “Creativity”? Throughout history, 

there have been widely varying conceptions of Creativity, with different individuals and 

disciplines emphasizing aspects such as ingenuity, originality, divine inspiration, innate 

ability, or problem-solving skills. The complexity of the term creativity has led to 

different interpretations and definitions in different disciplines. People observe creativity 

based on their perspective of interest; such as professors of art considered creativity in 

terms of imagination and originality, along with prosperity and willingness to try out new 

ideas (Sawyer & Henriksen, 2023).   

Early philosophers, such as Plato and Socrates, considered Creativity as a kind of 

“Madness” or “Divine Inspiration” (Gonzalez, 2011). Then in late eighteenth century, the 

great philosopher Immanuel Kant, thought of creativity as an innate ability that expresses 

itself through imagination, and for more than 60 years, the definition of creativity has 

been the subject of broad agreement; most scholars now concur that creativity is, in some 

way, a combination of two fundamental components. Newness, novelty, or uniqueness 

comes first. The second is task-fitness, usefulness, or significance (Helfand et al., 2016).  

Afterwards, Creativity was redefined as the capacity to produce things that are original 

and valuable (Sawyer & Henriksen, 2023). While Creativity, traditionally, has been 

linked to the arts and literature, but since the early 20th century, science has also been 

seen as a creative endeavor. However, In contrast to art and literature, in which it is 

usually sufficient to create an original work, a creative scientific idea requires both 

originality and appropriateness, it does not only generate novel ideas but also aspires to 

produce a verifiable representation of an objective truth (Xu et al., 2024). Physicists, such 



 

3 

as Einstein, perceived Creativity as an intelligence having fun, and David Bohm, looked 

at Creativity as “an instantaneous thought-feeling action” (Bohm, 2004). Additionally, a 

business professor, Teresa Amabile, defined creativity as the production of novel and 

appropriate solutions to open-ended problems in any domain of human activity (Amabile, 

2011). 

Creativity, as viewed through various lenses, includes concepts such as imagination, 

originality, problem solving, and even divine inspiration. The different interpretations in 

various disciplines illustrate the richness and complexity of this fundamental human trait, 

Creativity is frequently viewed as the creation of original and beneficial ideas or solutions 

to issues. It has been viewed as a mental capacity, a process, and a human behavior. 

People may have high creativity if they possess the personality features of a creative 

person (Seidel et al., 2010). 

Mathematical Creativity

There is no clear definition of MC, and there are conflicting views on the relative 

importance of innate talent and acquired skills. The consensus among academics is that  

MC, however, combines novelty or uniqueness with task-fitness or usefulness and 

exhibits fluency, flexibility, and originality in the way that one thinks (Levenson et al., 

2018). Thus, there is no universal agreement on how much mathematical ability or 

mathematical innovation is inherent and how much is learned  MC is seen as a thinking 

process that manifests in three ‘products’, or aspects: fluency, flexibility and originality 

(Molad et al., 2020). Fluency in the number of different correct solutions and discussions, 

and the ability to produce several solution strategies to a problem in the Mathematics 

learning process (Levenson et al., 2018); flexibility in the number of categories of those 

solutions and discussions; and originality in their uniqueness and insights (Weiss & 

Wilhelm, 2022). In addition, it was found that mathematical intelligence and MC have a 

reciprocally relationship; that is, mathematical intelligence leads to MC and vice versa 

(Tyagi, 2017). Therefore, fluency, adaptability, and originality are all aspects of MC that 

produce a variety of sound conclusions and thought-provoking debates. Additionally, 

mathematical intelligence and creativity are mutually supportive of one another, one 

fostering the other.



 

4 

In assessing creativity, the most common barriers mentioned in the literature research 

were a lack of time, a lack of training, a crammed curriculum, a lack of resources and 

standardized assessments (Bereczki & Kárpáti, 2018). Other factors, as mentioned by 

teachers, that hinder creativity were classroom settings (students’ ideas not shared, 

ignored ideas, forbidden mistakes and single unique answers), activities (drill work and 

worksheets), teachers’ attitude (controlling) and educational system’s (Rafsanjani et al., 

2019).  

Factors Affecting Mathematical Creativity  

The practice of guessing, considering alternative viewpoints, and utilizing a variety of 

mathematical skills fosters creativity in mathematicians. It promotes the development of 

original concepts, novel strategies, and novel approaches to problem solving. 

Mathematical reasoning fosters the growth of creativity because it necessitates 

speculating and separating viewpoints in order to address a given scenario (Grégoire, 

2016). Creativity in Mathematics education is built on knowledge (Bolden et al., 2010) 

as a result of the inevitable connection between Mathematics teaching and Creativity. It 

involves creating something new, getting rid of the traditional methods of thinking, 

evaluating fresh options, and utilizing a wide variety of mathematical expertise. 

Mathematical brilliance and talent do not come from copying the work of others; but from 

hard work and self-awareness (Gunawan et al., 2022), and from applying mathematics in 

novel ways to solve problems (Singer et al., 2017). Alongside, MC is a crucial component 

for developing Mathematical talent (Grégoire, 2016) and so, enabling creative students 

to use new, out of situation and unusual strategies in their solutions (Barraza-García et 

al., 2020). Moreover, promising young math students were identified by the ‘National 

Council of Teachers of Mathematics Task Force On The Mathematically Promising 

Students’ based on their aptitude, drive, self-efficacy, and opportunities/experience 

(Sheffield, 2006). Other study’s findings revealed that there was a positive correlation 

between MC and Mathematical ability along with a confirmatory indicator that MC (in 

students) is a subcomponent of their Mathematical ability (Kattou et al., 2013). 

Furthermore, by combining more than one representation tool (pictures, graphs, symbols, 

drawings, and writings), multiple representations (MRs) externalize internal 

mathematical notions and ideas (Tripathi, 2008). Therefore, teachers ought to be taught 

how to use MRs in their Mathematics teaching at any school stage in order to help 

students better understand Mathematical concepts and thus, develop their creative 



 

5 

thinking in mathematics (Bicer, 2021a). In order to develop mathematical aptitude, MC 

is a crucial component. This requires employing creative approaches and a variety of 

representations to comprehend issues. Teachers can empower pupils to understand 

mathematical topics more efficiently and foster their creative potential by encouraging 

creative thinking in mathematics education. 

On the other hand, the learning milieu plays a very important role in influencing and 

fostering creativity. Students and teachers agree that a classroom setting that fosters 

creativity gives more options to students, accepts various viewpoints, builds self-

confidence and focuses on students' interests and strengths (Rafsanjani et al., 2019). Other 

factors that affect Creative teaching are teachers’ internal features such as good will, 

persistence, trying new teaching methods, and being imaginative (Cayirdag, 2017). 

Additionally, other factors that are related to family aspects and school administration 

policies (Paek & Sumners, 2019). Moreover, teachers’ professional and personal domain 

are of the main components that ensure creative teaching in Mathematics (Anthony & 

Walshaw, 2009). It was also argued that rather than lecturing, teachers should act more 

as facilitators, learning partners, inspirers, or navigators in order to enhance students’ 

creativity (Paek & Sumners, 2019).  

Students' educational needs may be met in a variety of ways by encouraging equitable 

thinking through the use of creativity strategies in mathematics. Techniques such as 

including divergent thinking exercises, concept-based problem solving, and class 

discussion, aid students in honing their creative thinking abilities (Ritter et al., 2020). In 

addition, students are more challenged to consider all of the potential solutions when an 

open inquiry or creative problem is presented through a worksheet (Apino & Retnawati, 

2017).  

Science-technology-society (STS) approaches support student critical thinking, logical 

reasoning, the use of inquiry, and more creative approaches to problem-solving (Lee & 

Erdogan, 2007). There are effects of the visual mnemonic devices on creative 

performance, and thus enhancing creativity (Cioca & Nerișanu, 2020). Cooperative 

learning, the use of technology and manipulates, and other elements are also identified as 

potential contributors in developing students' creativity (Sánchez et al., 2022). 

Technology plays an effective role in fostering creativity by problem-solving from one 

side, and through trying and experimenting strategies in learning (Flores et al., 2018). 



 

6 

Moreover, technology can foster creative and divergent mathematical thinking, problem 

solving and problem posing, creative use of dynamic, multimodal and interactive 

software by teachers and learners, as well as other digital media and tools in mathematics 

classroom (Freiman & Tassell, 2018). 

A number of authors use problem-posing and problem-solving exercises to foster and 

assess creativity (Sriraman, 2009). Other researchers used fluency, flexibility, and 

originality as indicators of creativity in students’ problem solving, (Kontorovich et al., 

2011). Moreover, mathematics achievement and motivation are important determinants 

of MC (Haavold, 2018). A creative learning environment is one that exposes students to 

the psychological and social aspects of creativity so that they are inspired to explore new 

things on their own (Cochrane & Antonczak, 2015). Moreover, in order to promote 

creativity, students should be encouraged to discover their own answers (Kobsiripat, 

2015).  

The use of mathematical modeling techniques helps students better understand the 

connection between mathematics and real-world issues, and these techniques are crucial 

in establishing a realistic learning environment for Mathematics (Bonotto, 2007). 

Mathematical modeling has been considered to be an effective medium to prepare 

students to deal with unfamiliar situations by thinking flexibly and creatively and to solve 

real-world problems (Suh et al., 2017). The use of Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) can 

help students develop their MC (Winda et al., 2018).  

Teachers’ Perspectives 

In the context of Mathematics education, it is very crucial to understand teachers’ 

perspectives, beliefs and attitudes, since these factors significantly influence their 

teaching strategies and students learning outcomes. Moreover, teachers’ beliefs and 

attitudes also shape their instructional practices (Fives & Buehl, 2016). These attitudes 

and beliefs can also influence students’ learning outcomes because students often adopt 

the attitudes of their teachers (Sarma et al., 2021). Therefore, it is important to gain 

insights and learn about teachers’ perspectives for educational improvement and 

pedagogical development.  

In a study by Levenson (2013), when analyzing and reasoning the tasks that teachers have 

chosen when the goal was to promote creativity in their classes, findings revealed that 



 

7 

teachers seemed to view creativity as something different from the norm, like tasks done 

outside or using tools differently (Levenson, 2013). Another study investigates teachers’ 

conceptualizations of Creativity in China, Germany and Japan. A questionnaire was used 

to assess teachers’ beliefs about the nature of creativity, characteristics of creative 

students and the factors fostering or hindering creativity. Similarities and differences 

across cultures were observed. While all teachers perceived Creativity as innovative, 

diverse thinking that is irrelevant to scholastic achievement. German teachers believed 

that Creativity was more autonomous, while the Chinese saw it as more process-oriented. 

Imagination and curiosity were regarded as essential characteristics for students in the 

three countries. As for stimulating and fostering Creativity, Germans prioritized 

encouragement and independence, while Chinese concentrated on critical thinking (Zhou 

et al., 2013)  While another study has found that education can have an impact on 

knowledge, unique ideas, and intrinsic motivation, even if each person's creative potential 

is determined by their unique personality qualities and intellectual prowess. Students’ 

MC can be developed by training teachers to be specialists who can encourage creative 

thinking through open-ended challenges, and in order to cultivate intrinsic drive, students 

should be free to experiment, make mistakes, and come up with creative solutions 

(Grégoire, 2016). 

Mathematics Teaching Practices  

There is no common definition of ‘practices’ by researchers, however, it is very often 

referred to as “instructional” (Swars et al., 2018). Whilst teachers’ instructional practices 

maybe referred to as the teaching methods and strategies that are being used in the 

classroom in order to stimulate and enhance students’ learning and academic achievement 

(Stipek & Byler, 2004). Several studies have explored the teaching practices of 

Mathematics teachers, and it has been found that there is a positive correlation between 

teachers’ beliefs and self-reported teaching practices (Perera & John, 2020). Some 

concentrate on the deliberate acts of teachers in inquiry-based classrooms (Johnson, 

2013). Others have investigated Mathematics teachers' knowledge and practices when 

applying technology in the Mathematics class (Muhtadi et al., 2017).  

In a systematic review (Gallagher et al., 2022) of 19 studies (1975 – 2014), the researchers 

have found adaptive teaching in mathematics typically involves a teacher noticing a 



 

8 

student stimulus, reflecting on it, and then taking action to adapt their instruction. In 

addition, to the potential for curricula to act as stimuli and the crucial role of teachers’ 

direct reflection on students’ thinking and actions.  

Conclusively, observing the book “Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success 

for All (2014)”, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) identifies 

eight research-based essential Mathematical Teaching Practices which are (Leinwand, 

2014):  

 Establish mathematics goals to focus reasoning. Effective teaching produces clear 

goals of the Mathematics to be learned, situates goals within learning progressions.  

 Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving. Effective teaching 

engages students in solving problems and class discussions that promote 

Mathematical reasoning. 

 Use and connect mathematical representations. Effective teaching engages students 

in making connections among Mathematical representations, and thus, deepen 

understanding of concepts and solution strategies. 

 Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. Effective teaching facilitates students’ 

discussions that would build shared understanding of ideas by analyzing and 

comparing.  

 Pose purposeful questions. Effective teaching addresses purposeful questions that 

assess, advance and stimulate students’ reasoning.  

 Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding. Effective teaching 

establishes procedures’ fluency based on deep understanding of concepts. 

 Support productive struggle in learning mathematics. Effective teaching provides 

students with opportunities and supports to engage in productive tackle with 

Mathematical ideas on individual or group basis.  

 Elicit and use evidence of student thinking. Effective teaching makes use of students’ 

own thinking in the assessment of the progress of Mathematical understanding, and 

thus to frequently adjust instructional strategies in order to support and promote 

students’ learning.  

While research studies have highlighted the great importance of teachers’ intentional 

actions, knowledge and attitudes in the effective teaching practices of problem-solving 



 

9 

strategies, inquiry-based learning and technology integration in Mathematics teaching, 

the practices that are identified by the ‘NCTM’ indicate clear descriptions of what both, 

teachers and students, should expect to be doing when the practice is being used, thus 

guiding the teachers that their actions should include directing the students’ role as well. 

Challenges in Mathematics Education 

There are many different types of difficulties for math teachers in Palestinian classrooms. 

Some of the main difficulties arise from the nature and abstractness of Mathematics and 

the anticipated mathematical activities in the Palestinian textbooks, especially the 

Geometry curriculum (Alshwaikh & Straehler-Pohl, 2016). Noticing that abstract 

mathematical reasoning is introduced and emphasized at an early age in Palestine 

compared to other countries such as England (Alshwaikh & Morgan, 2015). Other 

challenges facing Mathematics education in Palestine include poor performance (among 

students), rote learning via teacher-centered teaching, learning geometry (as a result of 

teachers’ weak geometric knowledge) and lower standards of Palestinian textbooks 

compared to the NCTM (Alshwaikh & Straehler-Pohl, 2016).  Accordingly, there are 

many challenges in the face of Mathematics education in the Palestinian classroom, some 

of which are common among other countries and others are unique to the Palestinian 

context.  

Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers 

In an interpretive study of 156 articles on teachers’ professional development (PD) (2009 

–  2019), the researchers proposed a definition for PD as a continuous process that 

accompanies the teachers from the preparation stages of pre-service teachers and 

throughout the career’s years. Their framework of definition for the PD contains main 

concepts such as teacher characteristics, teaching strategies, learning content, student 

outcomes, school context, curriculum and policies (Sancar et al., 2021). Accordingly, 

each of these concepts influence and are influenced by the PD. Continuous PD is of great 

significance in the career life of Mathematics teachers, as PD improves teachers’ 

pedagogical skills, refresh their content knowledge, adaption to updated educational 

contents and learning new technological tools (Johari et al., 2022). These PD programs 

ought to be designed to fulfil the teachers’ needs, including teamwork collaboration, 

learning new teaching strategies and modern thinking about Mathematics. Nonetheless, 



 

10 

it is important to notice that for these programs to be effective, teachers’ willingness to 

change and their commitment is a necessary. 

Palestinian Education Context 

This study is carried out on Palestinian teachers in East Jerusalem (EJ) and in the West 

Bank (WB). The educational system in Palestine has been developed and undergone 

several changes due to the dramatic political phases throughout modern history (since the 

twentieth century), from the Ottoman rule to the present day. Under Ottoman rule, the 

education system was divided with distinct schools catering to various religious groups. 

During the British Mandate period, there was a rise in school attendance, but Muslim, 

Christian, and Jewish student numbers were not proportionate. The establishment of the 

state of Israel in 1948 resulted in Jordan annexing the West Bank and Egypt annexing the 

Gaza Strip, leading to the implementation of their education systems. Following the 

Israeli occupation in 1967, the Israeli government took control of the education system, 

implementing policies that hindered the progress of Palestinian education. This involved 

shutting down schools, controlling the content of textbooks, and limiting entry to colleges 

and universities. Establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994 led to the 

formation of a cohesive Palestinian education system, which still encounters obstacles 

concerning infrastructure, resources, and the effects of the ongoing conflict. The 

Palestinian Ministry has advanced in education by introducing a standardized curriculum, 

incorporating new subjects, and utilizing national textbooks, despite obstacles like 

political instability, Israeli occupation, and economic issues influencing teachers. Efforts 

are concentrated on improving education quality and matching it with the needs of the 

labor market (Quneis & Rafidi, 2023).  

The education in Palestine is divided into three types of school systems: state (public) 

schools, private (denominational) schools linked to one of the church communities and 

(exclusively for refugees) the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) 

schools. In all the governorates of Palestine, there are 1896 public schools, 402 private 

schools and 96 UNRWA schools (PMOE, 2022). Out of the three types, the education at 

the private schools has the highest ratings. It is worth noting that the three types of school 

systems obey the rules of the Palestinian ministry of education. The state (public) schools 

and the UNRWA schools use and teach the Palestinian curriculum texts. As for the private 

(international) schools, they also teach the Palestinian curriculum texts except for the 



 

11 

foreign language texts, which are English and another language (German, French, 

Spanish and Greek). These second and third languages are taught through foreign 

curriculum texts from the countries to which they belong. Moreover, private schools 

usually have a foreign stream beside the Palestinian Tawjihi stream through which 

students are prepared and take a general high school exam (instead of the Tawjihi), such 

as the British General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the German Abitur 

(DIA), the prestigious International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) and the American 

SAT exam (UNESCO, 2011). 

Definitions of Concepts  

As this research focuses on mathematics teachers' perspectives; practices, creativity, 

challenges, and professional development in Palestinian classrooms, here are definitions 

of the main concepts in the study. 

Mathematics Education 

The field of Mathematics education is multifaceted, encompassing various aspects such 

as curriculum design, teaching strategies, and the crucial role of teachers. Mathematics 

teachers play an essential role in the development of curriculum, requiring appropriate 

resources and time (Saifulloh, 2016). In support of equity and social justice, (Jacobsen, 

2012) emphasizes the significance of mathematics teacher education, calling for a 

deliberate focus on these objectives during teacher training. While (Da Ponte, 2012) 

highlights the diverse range of programs available for mathematics teacher education, 

stressing the importance of considering program quality and meeting the demands of 

society. Additionally, (Kooloos et al., 2020) addressed the crucial role of teachers in 

fostering classroom discourse and suggests that their pedagogical approaches can 

significantly influence classroom dynamics. These studies emphasize the importance of 

the role of teachers in framing Mathematics education and hence, the need for continuous 

professional development that would strengthen and enrich that role. 

Creativity  

There are several factors involved in creativity including the newness of a designed 

object, its relevance to others, effectiveness and some individual as well socially oriented 

points (Cropley, 2011). Innovation refers to the art of discovering new ways of solving 

problems in an intuitive, free-minded manner (Baccarani, 2005). Although it is 



 

12 

significant, there are no agreements on its definition (Valcheva, 2019). Creativity entails 

the creation of unique works and ideas that are associated with energetic  people who 

have a lot of ideas (Kanematsu & Barry, 2016).

Dynamically, potential and effectiveness are main requirements of Creativity, combining 

inconclusiveness and achievement within the process (Corazza, 2016). (Walia, 2019) 

provided a dynamic definition of Creativity as “Creativity is an act arising out of a 

perception of the environment that acknowledges a certain disequilibrium, resulting in 

productive activity that challenges patterned thought processes and norms, and gives rise 

to something new in the form of a physical object or even a mental or an emotional 

construct”.  

Mathematical Creativity  

There is no standard definition of MC due to difficulty in describing its structure or 

characteristics. MC is a complex concept that is influenced by several factors, some of 

which are: the product, person, process and press (Pitta-Pantazi et al., 2018), while 

(Leikin et al., 2009) considered MC as a dynamic property of the human mind that can 

be either promoted or weakened. 

Divergent thinking is considered as one of the prevalent descriptors of MC (Chamberlin 

& Moon, 2005). On the other hand, (Haavold, 2018) defined MC as the process whose 

outcomes are insightful solutions in an unusual manner, regardless of the level of 

complexity. While (Varshney, 2019) defined it as the ability to create a variety of products 

within the mathematical situations. In a systematic review of 210 studies, (Bicer, 2021b) 

defined MC ability at the K-16 school level as “An ability to generate new mathematical 

ideas, processes, or products that are new to the students but may not necessarily be an 

innovation, by discerning and selecting acceptable mathematical patterns and models”.  

Teachers’ Perspectives 

How people think and feel influences their behavior (Tyng et al., 2017). Accordingly, 

teachers’ beliefs affect their teaching practices in the classroom. This, in turn, would 

affect their instructional strategies and thereby affecting their students’ achievement 

(Minarni et al., 2018). Therefore, it is of great importance to explore and study teachers’ 



 

13 

beliefs and take them into consideration in educational research, in designing teachers’ 

professional programs.

Teachers’ Instructional Practices that Foster MC among Students  

Various instructional practices have been identified as practices that foster MC among 

students. Some of these practices are problem-solving, problem-posing, open- ended 

questions and tasks with multiple solutions foster MC among students (Bicer, 2021b). In 

addition to creating open-classroom atmosphere that motivates students’ participation and 

sharing their ideas (Zhang et al., 2020). Similarly, implementation of Mathematical 

practices that involves students’ interaction and engagement, which promotes knowledge 

and develops their mathematical skills, would foster their MC (Matsko & Thomas, 2015). 

Other findings indicated that using geometrical puzzle game in the Mathematics 

classroom also develops Creative Mathematical ability (Susiaty et al., 2021). 

Statement of the Problem

In the school education, there is a notable lack of knowledge regarding how teachers, 

especially Mathematics teachers, view and incorporate creativity, in their teaching 

methods. In spite of the global research concern about creative learning, the exceptional 

socio-political situation in Palestine lead to particular challenges and obstacles before 

teachers. Consequently, it becomes an urgent request for teaching methods that foster 

creativity among students, especially in such a unique troubled environment where 

traditional teaching methods prevail.  

Being a Mathematics teacher, who has an M.A. in Pure Mathematics, and has been 

teaching Mathematics for middle school students for 25 years and instructing pre-service 

teachers for 7 years at an Education College; I was able to observe the challenges and 

opportunities of fostering MC among students. This lengthy teaching experience along 

with the content matter knowledge in Pure Mathematics have imparted me with clear 

insights of the teaching practices that are most effective in fostering MC; as well as those 

practices that would hinder it. In particular, while many students are able to master 

complicated direct problems; they face difficulty in approaching open-ended problems or 

extreme case problems that require creative thinking. This has stimulated my interest in 

exploring ‘fostering MC among students’ issue more closely.  



 

14 

This research aims to highlight the teaching practices of the 8th and 9th grade Palestinian 

Mathematics teachers and to explore the connection, between their understanding of 

creativity and the specific approaches they use to encourage or hinder their students’ 

creative abilities and talents.  

The focus of the research is twofold; firstly, to understand how Mathematics teachers, in 

8th and 9th grade perceive creativity in the context of Palestinian Education. Secondly, 

to investigate the teaching practices that they use to foster creativity or unintentionally 

hinder it in their students. The significance of the problem has been driven by the several 

sophisticated factors affecting the Palestinian education system, such as diverse school 

types, classroom sizes, cultural considerations, political issues and limited financial 

support. Therefore, by focusing on 8th and 9th grade Mathematics teachers, the researcher 

aims to provide insights that could lead to effective interventions and enhancements that 

foster a more creative learning environment in Palestinian (8th – 9th grade) classrooms.  

Rational and Purpose of the Study 

There have been massive attention paid to value Creativity in recent decades, as for both 

individuals and societies; Creativity has become a valuable resource as it has critical 

influences on both, personal and professional success (Glăveanu, 2018). It would make it 

possible for people to take advantage of fresh possibilities and come up with the best 

solutions to threats and obstacles. Innovation should be a profession in teaching. Teachers 

need to be enthusiastic about their subject, curious about new things, and interested in 

every part of their cycle of impact (Roxå & Marquis, 2019). Since curiosity and the drive 

to understand are traits unique to children and humans, the senses that come with 

knowledge are more significant than information itself. 

Moreover, studies have provided a viable account of how mathematical idealizations can 

play explanatory roles in physical theory and natural sciences in describing, explaining 

and predicting phenomena (Leng, 2021). “Mathematics is a rich source of structures and 

when some mathematical theory finds applications in empirical science, it is clear that 

the mathematics captures certain important structural relations in the system in question” 

(Bueno & Colyvan, 2011). 

Concerns about fostering MC among students is a crucial matter for its significant 

influence on their success and progress in the subject. In addition, MC is an essence of 



 

15 

the intellectual abilities and personal traits of a person (Grégoire, 2016). Thus, integrating 

well designed and meticulously selected instructional practices, enthusiastically, into the 

Mathematics classroom would provide opportunities for students to recognize and 

discover their potential Mathematical creative abilities (Bicer, 2021b).  

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the best teachers’ practices that foster  MC 

in the classroom for the Palestinian case. The research also attempts to add to the body of 

research done for the Palestinian case; for different international studies may not apply 

for the Palestinian teachers’ case. In addition, the study focuses on the school setting 

whereas similar studies on MC are usually done for higher education. Moreover, this 

study aims to provide perceptive description of how Palestinian teachers foster MC in a 

useful and appropriate classroom setting. 

Research Questions 

1. How do Palestinian 8th – 9th grade mathematics teachers perceive and define 

mathematical creativity, and how does this perception influence their teaching 

practices? 

2. In what ways do Palestinian 8th – 9th grade mathematics teachers intentionally design 

and implement their teaching practices to foster mathematical creativity within the 

classroom setting? 

3. How do Palestinian 8th – 9th grade mathematics teachers create learning experiences 

that facilitate the development of students' mathematical creativity? 

4. What are the challenges and the obstacles that Palestinian 8th – 9th grade mathematics 

teachers face in fostering mathematical creativity in the classroom?  

5. Is there a significant difference in the responses of the in-service mathematics teachers 

fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect to teachers’ gender? 

6. Is there a significant difference in the responses of the in-service mathematics teachers 

fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect to teachers’ academic 

degree? 

7. Is there a significant difference in the responses of the in-service mathematics teachers 

fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect to seniority?

8. Are there significant interaction effects between teachers’ academic degree and 

seniority on the dependent variable of enhancing students' creativity in mathematics?



 

16 

Research Hypothesis  

Qualitative Research Hypothesis 

The hypothesis of the qualitative research method of this study posits that Palestinian 

eighth-ninth grade Mathematics teachers who either have a deeper understanding of MC 

and perceive its importance in education, believe in their students’ potentials, and 

intentionally employ strategies to foster creativity within the classroom setting will 

demonstrate more effective practices in nurturing their students' MC compared to those 

who do not possess these attributes.  

Quantitative Research Hypothesis 

Research Question 1: Hypothesis 1: There is a significant difference in the responses of 

in-service mathematics teachers fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect 

to teachers’ gender. 

Research Question 2: Hypothesis 2: There is a significant difference in the responses of 

in-service mathematics teachers fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect 

to teachers’ academic degree. 

Research Question 3: Hypothesis 3: There is a significant difference in the responses of 

in-service mathematics teachers fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect 

to seniority. 

Research Question 4: Hypothesis 4: There are significant interaction effects between 

teachers’ academic degree and seniority on the dependent variable of enhancing students' 

creativity in mathematics. 

Summary  

This chapter discussed the main aspects of MC, its definition and constructive 

components of novelty (uniqueness), fluency, flexibility and originality. It highlights how 

these aspects play the role of an indicator of a Mathematical creative person (student), in 

order to assist teachers pinpoint those students and to assess any interference from their 

side.  

Moreover, the chapter discusses innovating as well as hindering factors of MC in the 

Palestinian classroom including the learning milieu, teaching practices and local 



 

17 

challenges in the country. Additionally, the chapter highlights the influence of teachers’ 

perceptions of creativity on their teaching practices (on or off the track of promoting MC 

among students).  

Consequently, the chapter points out the essential request and need for effective 

interference to nurture and adopt particular teaching practices that, according to previous 

scientific studies, are believed to foster MC in the classroom. As will be indicated in the 

next chapter (The Methodology), these teaching practices are problem solving, using 

technology, guessing and trying, mathematical reasoning, divergent thinking, problem 

posing and research, applying Mathematics to real life situations, using imagination and 

relating mathematics to arts and music. The next chapter illustrates the investigation 

procedure through the research methods that were used in order to delve into aspects of 

the research problem aiming to understand and make connections between teachers ‘ 

perceptions and their teaching practices aiming to foster MC among students.  

 

 

  



 

18 

Chapter Two 

Methodology 

The Methodology chapter is an essential component that outlines the research design, 

methodological approaches and data-collection procedures (MacFarlane, 2020). This 

chapter outlines the methodical framework that guides the study's implementation in 

order to ensure rigor, dependability, and validity in the investigation of Mathematics 

teachers' perspectives in encouraging MC among students in Palestinian classrooms. 

Thus, the main purpose of this research is to explore the complex nature of MC within 

the context of eighth and ninth-grade Mathematics education in Palestine. By employing 

a mixed-methods approach, this research investigates the perceptions, behaviors, and 

experiences of Mathematics teachers, shedding light onto the interconnected interaction 

between pedagogical strategies, teachers’ perception and the cultivation of Creativity in 

Mathematical learning environments. 

Planned Study Design 

Mixed-Methods Approach 

The researcher used mixed methods approach. The complications of the research 

questions spur information of several nature and from several sources, and thus lead the 

researcher to carry a mixed method approach, which based on the principle of 

triangulation, would reduce the limitations of singular methods (Turner et al., 2017). 

Tashakkori and Creswell (2007) defined mixed methods as "the study or program of 

inquiry in which the investigator collects and analyzes data, integrates the findings, and 

develops conclusions utilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches" (Tashakkori 

& Creswell, 2007). Combining quantitative and qualitative data in mixed methods 

research has a variety of benefits including deeper insight and thorough understanding of 

complex issues (Almeida, 2018), as well as providing a more holistic and enriched 

understanding of the research problems (Tariq & Woodman, 2013). Furthermore, mixed 

methods are useful, particularly in PhD research due to its ability to provide a 

comprehensive understanding of complex phenomena (Jogulu & Pansiri, 2011), in 

addition to the desire to obtain more holistic and enriched understanding of the research 

problem (Tariq & Woodman, 2013).  



 

19 

Challenges Encountered 

The mixed method that was planned to be used in this research consists of a qualitative 

method composed of semi structured interviews and observations, and a quantitative 

method using a questionnaire. However, the Palestinian education faced a very hard 

situation due to the Israeli-Gaza war in October 2023. Being at war, the Israeli authorities 

has created the closure of all main roads in and between cities, towns and villages in the 

Palestinian territories. Several check points that either were closed or caused a lengthy 

time consuming which made regular school attendance difficult for both teachers and 

students. As a result, the Palestinian MOE has decided to conduct hybrid learning of three 

days of face-to-face teaching and two days of online teaching via Teams 2. Teams 2 is a 

template in Microsoft Teams for Education which has several features of creating and 

posting educational materials, organizing the learning process and is very beneficial for 

teachers (Guzmán, 2021). On the other hand, the hybrid learning, besides offering 

flexibility, has negative influence on the teaching – learning process. Teachers have 

trouble in the management of the workload, engaging students and transitioning between 

both teaching procedures (Singh & Singh, 2023). While students may also experience less 

levels of class engagement and interaction in Hybrid classes (Li et al., 2023). As a result, 

teachers declined to accept my request of classroom observations (neither face-to-face 

nor online observations) due to shortage of time that requires from teachers to focus only 

on covering the content material without elaboration, not having fully attendant or active 

students and technical problems.  

The interviews to answer the first four research questions, while the questionnaire to 

answer the last four questions. Elaborately, the researcher’s methods of collecting data 

are arranged into two phases, the quantitative phase and the qualitative phase.  

Quantitative Phase: Questionnaire 

A questionnaire is defined as a sequence of questions asked to individuals in order to 

obtain statistically useful information about a given topic (Roopa & Rani, 2012). 

Moreover, a 5-scale Likert questionnaire is a popular research tool that is used to explore 

and measure attitudes and perceptions with response options: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = 

disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree and 5 = strongly agree. In addition, the process of 

designing a questionnaire involves defining the required information, selecting the 

appropriate questions, and pre-testing the questionnaire to ensure its effectiveness.  



 

20 

Study Population (Participants) 

Participants: the questionnaire will be administered to Palestinian 8th – 9th grade 

Mathematics teachers to explore their teaching practices related to Mathematics 

Creativity and their difference based on gender, academic degree and seniority (Last four 

Research Questions). According to the statistics data of the year 2023 by the Palestinian 

MOE (PCBS, 2023), the number of Palestinian Mathematics teachers who teach 8th – 9th 

grades is 947 and 869 respectively summing up to a total of 2964 teachers, as shown in 

Table A1 (Appendix A).  

Sampling  

Krejcie (1970), based on the formula published by The National Education Association 

in the article “Small Sample Techniques”, has presented a simple formula to calculate the 

sample size of a population along with a reference table which provides the sample size 

satisfies a confidence level of 95% that the real value is within ±5% of the 

measured/surveyed value (Krejcie & Morgan, 1970). The formula is: 

𝑠 = 𝑋2𝑁𝑃(1 − 𝑃) ÷ 𝑑2(𝑁 − 1) + 𝑋2𝑃(1 − 𝑃) 

𝑠 = Required sample size 

𝑋2 = The table value of chi-square for 1 degree of freedom at the desired confidence 

level  

𝑁 = The population size 

𝑃 = The population proportion  

𝑑 = The degree of accuracy expressed as a proportion (.05) 

The researcher uses the previous formula for the study population of 2964 Mathematics 

teachers and calculated that 341 participants should be included in the research in order 

to have a margin of errors of 5%. However, the number of participants that participated 

in answering the questionnaire were only 240 teachers. This may be explained by the fact 

that teachers are loaded with too much schoolwork for the hybrid teaching and many 

found it an extra load to give some of their time. The number of 240 participants led to a 

margin of errors of 6%. Although this is higher than the desired 5% margin of errors, but 

still, a margin of errors of 6% is acceptable in exploratory research, as it allows for a 

degree of flexibility in the data collection process (Mason et al., 2010) as a margin of 



 

21 

errors of higher than 6 % was also used in research (Silliman & Schleifer, 2023). And 

since the nature of the current study belongs to the family of exploratory researches, since 

it includes Qualitative and Mixed methods, the research design allows for Flexibility and 

adaptation as it gathers more information, not restricting the study to predefined 

hypotheses, but instead, seeking understanding a wide range of perspectives and 

practices.  

The teachers where chosen randomly from various school types in the main three 

Palestinian regions, illustrated in Table A2 (Appendix A), and the demographic 

characteristics of the participants; presented in the Tables A3, A4 and A5 (Appendix A).  

Data Collection Procedure  

The sample of 240 teachers were randomly chosen from three resources, public schools 

were chosen from the lists of schools provided to me by the Palestinian Ministry of 

Education by sending emails to the principles of those schools, private schools were 

approached through principles of those schools via WhatsApp messages by sending to 

them the questionnaire link and UNRWA schools from a list provided by the Education 

officers in each governance via email. 

Sampling Process 

The sampling process was conducted to ensure a diverse and representative sample of 

eighth and ninth-grade Palestinian Mathematics teachers from different types of schools 

across all governorates in Palestine. The process involved the following two steps. 

 Stratified Sampling: A technique that involves dividing the population into 

homogeneous subgroups, strata, based on specific characteristics and then run a 

random sampling from each subgroup, stratum (Taherdoost, 2016). This process 

increases accuracy and facilitates result interpretation. Thus, schools were divided into 

three strata based on their type (Public, Private, UNRWA), and then schools were 

randomly selected within each stratum.  

 Selection of teachers: An invitation was sent to the selected schools, clarifying the 

purpose of the research and asking for their voluntarily participation. 



 

22 

Response Rate  

Out of the 341 teachers invited to participate, 240 agreed to complete the questionnaire, 

resulting in a 70.4% response rate, which is above the minimum recommended responds 

rate of 70% (Al Khalaf et al., 2022).  

Designing the Questionnaire  

As it is important to go through a thorough literature review in the phase of designing a 

research questionnaire (Torres-Carrion et al., 2018), the researcher synthesized from 

literature the main themes that compose the main aspect of the research problem which 

is Mathematics teachers’ practices that motivate, foster and incorporate MC into the 

Mathematics class, whose contributing themes were found to be: Concept-Based Problem 

Solving (Sánchez et al., 2022), Utilizing a Variety of Mathematical Skills, Class 

Discussion and problem solving (Bicer, 2021b; Rahayuni ̇Ngsi ̇H et al., 2021), 

implementation of technology (Yushau et al., 2005), Guessing (Hansen, 2022), 

Mathematical Reasoning (Sriraman, 2009), Divergent Thinking Exercises (Schoevers et 

al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020), Problem posing and research (Bicer, 2021b), Applying 

Mathematics to real life problems (Nilimaa, 2023), Using imagination (Ulfah et al., 2017) 

and Relating to Art and/or Music (Arias-Alfonso & Franco, 2021).  

The questionnaire (Appendix E) consists of thirty-four items constructing the nine main 

aspects of the teachers’ practices that can contribute, foster and nurture MC among 

students in the classroom. Table 1 illustrates the component items of the questionnaire.  

Table 1 

Composition of the questionnaire items 

The construct (component) 
The questions representing the 

construct 

Problem Solving. Questions 1 – 8 

Using of technology in teaching and learning. Questions 9 – 11 

Guessing and trying. Questions 12 – 14 

Mathematical Reasoning. Questions 15 – 18 

Divergent thinking. Questions 19 – 21 

Problem posing and research. Questions 22 – 25 

Applying Mathematics to real life problems. Questions 26 – 28 

Using imagination. Questions 29 – 31 

Relating Mathematics to Art and/or music. Questions 32 - 34 



 

23 

Variables  

• Independent variables: These are teachers’ demographics: Teachers’ Gender, 

Educational Level and Seniority.  

• Dependent variables: These are the components of the questionnaire representing the 

nine teaching practices.  

Validity and Reliability  

Internal consistency 

To test the internal consistency of the questionnaire, I have run a reliability analysis on a 

randomly selected 30 participants other than the 240 participants, as a pilot sampling, by 

calculating the Cronbach’s Alpha that helps determining whether the items in the 

questionnaire are measuring the same underlying construct consistently (Tavakol & 

Dennick, 2011). The selected 30 items lead to a Cronbach's Alpha of.958, Table A6 

(Appendix A), indicating excellent internal consistency. 

After thorough reading of literature on the subject of teachers’ practices that foster and 

nurture MC among students in class, the researcher synthesized nine main constructs, 

which are: Problem solving, Using technology (as a learning tool), Guessing and trying, 

Mathematical thinking and Reasoning, Divergent thinking, Problem posing and research, 

Applying Mathematics to real life problems, Using imagination, and Learning by 

Multiple Representations. The researcher designed a questionnaire consisting of thirty-

four questions that covers, as groups, these nine constructs. Seven professors in 

Mathematics Education from local and regional universities reviewed the questionnaire. 

Each one of the reviewers accepted the questionnaire with some formal modifications 

concerning the language and/or constructs of few questions. The researcher has done all 

the reported modifications and designed the final copy that met the reviewers’ 

recommendations. The questionnaire questions are presented in Table A7, Appendix A.  

Construct Validity 

The construct dimensions of the questionnaire should be tested by verifying the factor 

structure of the questionnaire. This is done by the statistical technique, Exploratory Factor 

Analysis (EFA), which identifies underlying factors that account for patterns of 



 

24 

collinearity among variables. This statistical test is conducted in SPSS 26, followed by 

Confirmatory Factor Analysis.  

Factor Extraction 

An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted in order to understand the 

underlying structure of the questionnaire items. This is done by reducing the number of 

variables via removing the irrelevant items and retaining the most important information, 

and thus, understanding the latent components that are related to Mathematics teachers’ 

practices that foster MC. EFA was employed to identify the underlying structure of the 

data without imposing any preconceived structure. This method allows for the discovery 

of latent variables that explain the patterns of correlations among observed variables. 

Objectives, Model Assumptions and Application 

EFA is a theory-driven method that assumes the presence of underlying factors that causes 

the correlations, aims to identify latent constructs that explain the observed correlations 

among variables. Moreover, EFA assumes that the underlying factors influence the 

observed variables and thus includes variances and error terms. Thus, EFA is used to 

identify and interpret underlying factors.  

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Data Suitability  

Prior to performing the EFA, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling 

adequacy and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity were applied to evaluate the appropriateness 

of the data for factor analysis. The results of the KMO measure indicated excellent 

sampling adequacy and the Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity was significant, confirming that 

the suitability for factor analysis.  

Communalities for the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) 

Communalities indicate the amount of variance in each variable accounted for by the 

factors. Higher communalities (closer to 1) suggest that the extracted factors explain a 

substantial portion of the variance, whereas lower communalities (closer to 0) indicate 

that less variance is captured (Watkins, 2018). Moreover, a guideline table, Table B3, 

(Appendix B), was composed for interpreting the results of the communalities (Hair, 

2010).  



 

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The Total Variance Explained Test, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) 

Conducting total variance explained analysis is important in exploratory factor analysis 

to determine the optimal number of factors to retain. The total variance explained by the 

extracted factors indicates the proportion of the total variance in the observed variables 

that is accounted for by the factors.  

Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings for the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) 

The Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings is a crucial step in EFA, aiming to improve the 

interpretability of results. This process of factor rotation is conducted to accomplish an 

easier interpretable factor structure. The rotation sums of squared loadings’ process can 

provide insights into how the factors contribute to explaining the overall variance in the 

dataset, and helps in achieving a more interpretable solution (Despois & Doz, 2021). 

Rotated Component Matrix for the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) 

The rotated component matrix shows the factor loadings for each variable on the extracted 

factors before and after rotation. The Varimax rotation, a commonly used orthogonal 

rotation method, was used to achieve a simpler and more interpretable factor structure. 

The rotated component matrix is important for having deep insights into the relationships 

and the redistribution of variance among the factors after rotation, and thus illustrating 

how the factors were readjusted to represent the underlying structure of the data better. 

The correlation values are categorized into three ranges that are described as high, 

moderate and low correlation, indicating the stability, moderate and significant change in 

the factor after rotation, respectively. The guideline Table C2l, Appendix C.  

Data Analysis  

The researcher will use SPSS program to analyze the outputs of the second part of the 

questionnaire. Mean and Standard Deviation tests will be conducted firstly on the 

responses of in-service mathematics teachers on fostering students' creativity in 

mathematics (Descriptive statistics). Then, the assumptions tests were conducted.

Assumptions Tests 

Checking assumptions before running any statistical tests is of great importance, these 

assumptions include ensuring the independence of observations, testing for normality and 

homogeneity of variance.  



 

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Independence of Observations 

In order to ensure independence of observations, the questionnaire was carefully 

designed, as mentioned previously. Its items were constructed based on thorough review 

of previous research studies concerning the subject of teachers’ practices fostering MC 

among students. The questionnaire was designed with clear instructions and the responds 

were received via google form, an aspect of individual data collection. Both, individual 

data collection and clear instructions are crucial for ensuring the independence of 

observations. Moreover, in order to have a deeper understanding and a holistic 

comprehension of the statistical analysis, a new variable was defined as ‘Comprehensive 

Teah Practices’ which is the average of the nine main teaching practices.  

Assessing Normality 

To decide the suitable statistical tests for analyzing the data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov 

test with Lilliefors significance correction and the Shapiro-Wilk test were used to test the 

Normality of the composite variables representing teaching practices. The Lilliefors test 

for Normality is a modification of the Kolomogorov-Smirnov test of goodness of fit, 

while the Shapiro-Wilk test is considered the best and most powerful Normality test, 

especially for large samples.  

The results revealed that the data do not follow a normal distribution, thus, non-parametric 

tests were used to run the desired statistical analysis.  

Assessing Homogeneity of Variance 

In order to ensure the efficiency and appropriateness of further statistical analysis, it is 

important to assess the homogeneity of variances across the independent variables’ 

groups. While Levene’s Test is usually used to assess homogeneity, but since the study’s 

dataset is nonparametric, then the Brown-Forsythe Test is a powerful appropriate 

alternative for nonparametric dataset. The Brown-Forsythe Test evaluates the equality of 

variances using the median (instead of the mean) makes it an appropriate test for non-

normally distributed data. However, SPSS software does not have a built-in procedure 

that runs the Brown-Forsythe Test. Therefore, it has to be computed (in SPSS) by a 

manual procedure, which consisted of the following steps; for each dependent variable 

(teaching practices), the median was computed within each level of an independent 

variable by aggregating the data. Then, new variables were defined (by compute variable) 



 

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as the absolute value of the difference between the dependent variable and its median. 

Afterwards, a One-Way-ANOVA was conducted by using the previously measured 

absolute differences as the dependent variable with the independent variable as the factor 

for the analysis, the presented F value in the output is the Brown-Forsythe value. The 

procedure was carried out for every combination of the dependent and the independent 

variables, thus producing a robust analysis of variance homogeneity.  

Correlation Analysis between teachers’ teaching practices and teachers 

demographic variables (gender, academic degree and seniority)  

Exploring the relationship between teachers’ teaching practices and their demographic 

attributes can offer deeper insights of how various aspects affect teaching practices. 

Utilizing nonparametric analysis, especially by using Spearman’s rho and Kendall’s 

tau_b coefficients to explore these relationships. This nonparametric analysis is an 

effective method for investigating such possible relationships.  

The results of the Correlation analysis (Spearman’s rho and Kendall’s tau_b coefficients) 

were interpreted according to several guidelines (Schober et al., 2018). These guidelines 

are summarized in Table C9, Appendix C. The correlation analysis via the Spearman’s 

rho and Kendall’s tau_b coefficients were carried out to explore the relationship between 

teaching practices and teachers’ gender, between teaching practices and teachers' 

academic degree, and between teaching practices and teachers' seniority.  

Addressing The Last Four Research Questions using Nonparametric Analysis of 

Teaching Practices 

This section present the nonparametric methods that were conducted in order to address 

the last four Research Questions (Q. 5 – Q. 8) by investigating the factors that influence 

Creativity fostering teachers’ practices. In virtue of the nonparametric nature of the 

dataset of this study, then nonparametric methods were employed. In particular, the 

Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis H test and Aligned Rank Transform (AMT) 

were used to analyze differences in the teaching practices with regard to teachers’ gender, 

educational qualification and seniority, in addition to the interaction effects among these 

factors. Exploring these interactions effects, pairwise and combined, between the 

demographic factors (as independent variables) highlights deep insights into the 

influences of these factors on teachers’ teaching practices. 



 

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Research Question 5 

“Is there a significant difference in the responses of the in-service Mathematics teachers 

fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect to teachers’ gender?” 

The Mann-Whitney U Test for Gender Differences in Teaching Practices 

To assess the significant differences in the responds of two groups of an independent 

variable (here, male and female of teachers’ gender) on an ordinal dependent variable 

(teaching practices), the Mann-Whitney U test was employed. The findings of Mann-

Whitney U test will help identifying significant differences in the teaching practices 

between male and female teachers.  

Research Question 6 

“Is there a significant difference in the responses of the in-service mathematics teachers 

fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect to teachers’ academic degree?” 

Kruskal-Wallis H Test for Academic Degree Differences in Teaching Practices 

Since teachers’ educational qualifications, academic degree, consist of four components, 

B.A., B.Ed., M.A. and PhD, then the Kruskal-Wallis H Test is employed to assess 

statistical significant differences between the four groups on the (ordinal) dependent 

variable (teaching practices). The findings of Kruskal-Wallis H Test will help identifying 

significant differences in the teaching practices among teachers’ various academic 

degrees. 

Since the results from the Kruskal-Wallis H Test indicated significant differences in 

various teaching practices, then conducting a post-hoc analysis is necessary in order to 

assess these differences and compare between groups to determine which specific group 

had the significant difference. Moreover, since the dataset of the study is nonparametric, 

then Mann-Whitney U Test is conducted in order to carry pairwise comparisons. 

However, when the Mann-Whitney U test is employed to a heterogeneous dataset, it may 

cause inflated Type 1 errors. Type 1 error happens when a null hypothesis is falsely 

rejected; i.e. when falsely deducing that there is an effect. In order to deal with the 

problem of possible occurrence of Type 1 errors, Bonferroni correction is applied. 

Bonferroni correction is a method that involves making statistical significance more 

stringent. Making a statistical significance more stringent means decreasing its significant 



 

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threshold level, the p-value, via dividing it by the number of comparisons, and so reducing 

the significance criterion, making the significant level more strict. Mann-Whitney U Tests 

with Bonferroni Correction across the groups of Academic degree and comparisons were 

carried out between teachers with B.A. and those with B.Ed., between teachers with B.A. 

and those with M.A. and between teachers with B.A. and those with PhD. 

Addressing Research Question 7 

“Is there a significant difference in the responses of the in-service mathematics teachers 

fostering students' creativity in mathematics with respect to seniority?”  

The Kruskal-Wallis H Test was conducted to determine if there were significant 

differences in the teachers’ teaching practices concerning their teaching experience 

(Seniority). Similarly, the Kruskal-Wallis H Test was followed by Post-Hoc Pairwise 

Comparisons Using Mann-Whitney U Tests with Bonferroni Correction. Comparisons 

were made between each pairwise combination of the seniority groups; (1 – 5) years with 

(6 – 10) years, (1 – 5) years with (more than 10 years) and between (6 – 10) years with 

(more than 10 years).  

Addressing Research Question 8 

“Are there significant interaction effect between teachers’ academic degree and seniority 

on the dependent variable of enhancing students' creativity in Mathematics?”  

Interaction Effects of Academic Degree and Seniority on Teaching Practices 

At this stage, it is ought to assess whether there are significant interaction effects between 

teachers’ academic degree and teachers’ seniority on their teaching practices that foster 

MC among students. Since the data are nonparametric, then the Aligned Rank Transform 

(ART) method is used. The Aligned Rank Transform (ART) is useful in assessing 

interaction effects for nonparametric data. It is a procedure of robust validity for dealing 

with data that is not parametric. However, since SPSS does not have a built in function to 

run Aligned Rank Transform, the researcher had to carry out a comprehensive, thorough 

analysis using Excel and SPSS. The procedure consisted of transforming the data into 

adjusted ranked data, then conducting multivariate MANOVA in SPSS on the 

transformed data, a procedure inspired by the work of (Leys & Schumann, 2010).  



 

30 

First, painstaking computations were carried out in Excel to achieve an adjusted rank 

transformation on the nonparametric data. This was done via several steps: for each 

dependent variable (the teaching practices), the ranks were computed, then in order to 

control any biases that may arise due to the independent variables, these ranks were 

adjusted by centering them about the overall mean rank, and hence improving the 

accuracy of the analysis of the interaction.  

Secondly, the adjusted rank-transformed data was imported into SPSS to run a 

Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) in order to assess the main effects of 

teachers’ education and seniority along with the interaction effects on the dependent 

variables. Running the Multivariate Analysis of Variance on the rank-transformed data is 

an efficient alternative procedure to the Aligned Rank transformation, which is run in 

other software programs such as R (Leys & Schumann, 2010).  

A summary of the steps in the procedure  

Tests conducted in Excel (Adjusted Rank Transformation) 

Data was sorted by Education and Seniority. 

Ranks for each dependent variable were computed. 

Mean ranks for each group of Education and Seniority were computed.  

Adjusted ranks were computed by centering these ranks around the overall mean rank. 

Multivariate Analysis in SPSS: 

The adjusted ranked transformed data were imported into SPSS. 

A MANOVA was conducted on the imported data using the General Linear Model 

procedure, in which Education, Seniority and their interaction were taken as the fixed 

factors. 

Interpreting the results by assessing the multivariate test statistics (Pillai's Trace, Wilks' 

Lambda, Hotelling's Trace, Roy's Largest Root). 

Carrying out a Univariate ANOVA for each dependent variable.  

Running Post-Hoc tests to investigate pairwise differences  

The descriptive statistics table, Appendix A, summarizes the means and standard 

deviations for each teaching practice across the various levels of teachers’ academic 

degree and their seniority. 



 

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Qualitative Phase: Interviews  

Qualitative methods are important in understanding complex phenomena offering a 

deeper understanding of experiences, phenomena, and context, addressing "how" and 

"why" questions. The qualitative method consists mainly of semi-structured interviews 

are common qualitative tools that are considered effective for obtaining in depth 

information and exploring teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, motivations, and practices. 

Semi-structured interviews 

Semi-structured interviews are intended to cover as many topics as possible. The 

researcher uses a pre-prepared interview protocol to monitor the interview as it progresses 

to avoid following a predetermined order in covering these topics. This allows the 

researcher to use discursive methods to get the discussion back on track when the 

participant's comments deviate from the planned topic. In the event that new and 

intriguing details emerge during the interview, the researcher may also impromptu pose 

questions beyond the scope of the protocol. In addition, semi-structured interviews are 

mostly based on open- ended questions that encourage participants to elaborate on their 

ideas and opinions, provide their opinions on the topic from their own unique 

perspectives, share personal experiences, and use their own language are the mainstay of 

semi-structured interviews. In qualitative research, semi-structured interviews are an 

invaluable instrument that facilitate comprehensive topic analysis and adaptability in data 

gathering, especially in exploring complex and new issues.  

Research Design and Rational 

The researcher decided to use semi-structured interviews as the qualitative method that 

would complement the quantitative method and to elaborate on its findings. Semi-

structured interviews would allow for exploring the particular aspects deeply with 

flexibility that let participants expose their ideas and perceptions freely.  

Participants  

Twenty Palestinian Mathematics teachers participated voluntarily in the semi-structured 

interviews. An invitation was sent to a large number of schools all around the country in 

order to get enough number of participants and to ensure diversity. The participants were 

selected as to shape a good representation of the demographical aspects and of fair 



 

32 

reflection to those in who participated in the quantitative research. Table B1, Appendix 

B, illustrates the demographics of the participants.  

Sampling  

The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with in-service teachers. The 

researcher was aiming to conduct about 18 – 25 interviews, since a range of twenty to 

thirty semi-structured interviews is commonly recommended (Hennink et al., 2017). 

There is no universally agreed minimum number of interviews for PhD research in 

Education, however, some studies have shown that 9-17 interviews are typically 

sufficient to reach saturation, while others argued that the sufficient number of interviews 

is 12 (Guest et al., 2006). Other studies have shown that the number of semi-structured 

interviews needed in order to adequately identify themes and codes is 6 – 9 interviews 

(Young & Casey, 2018). 

However, the researcher stopped when theoretical saturation was accomplished after the 

20th interview. Theoretical saturation in semi-structured interviews is the point at which 

additional interviews do not provide new information.  

Data Collection  

The interviews were conducted online via video conferencing, Zoom platform, and they 

were recorded. Interviews duration was 45 – 60 minutes. The interviews were recorded 

after the participants’ consent. The recordings were transcribed and each transcript was 

organized into a table of one column in order to separate questions from answers; 

allowing for an proper and easier coding process.  

The interviews were carried out in Arabic language, also transcribed and coded in Arabic 

in order to keep exact, proper descriptive wordings in their original form. Finally, the 

resulting codes and themes were translated to