Examining mathematical creativity of prospective mathematics teachers through problem posing.

This article investigates the mathematical creativity of prospective mathematics teachers through their engagement with the Photo-Math Project, a problem-posing task integrated into a calculus course in Turkey. The Photo-Math Project involves students taking photos of real-life objects and generating calculus-related mathematical problems based on these images, aligning with the realistic mathematics education approach. Analysis of 22 first-year students' projects revealed three creativity levels: most participants (16) demonstrated creativity at the algorithmic level (domain-specific algorithms and applications of definitions), while only four reached the highest level involving theoretical aspects such as theorems and definitions. The study highlights that students' prior experiences significantly influence their ability to pose creative, conceptually rich problems, and suggests that diverse problem-posing contexts both inside and outside the classroom may foster higher levels of mathematical creativity.