Fauziah, Abd Qohar, Santi Irawati
Creative thinking (CT) is increasingly becoming a key focus in mathematics education, particularly in addressing non-routine problems, facilitating the transfer of knowledge to new contexts and fostering innovation. In this regard, decision-making (DM) in mathematical problem-solving plays a crucial role in shaping how students develop and express their creative thinking processes. DM influences strategy selection, idea organization and the way solutions are constructed. This study aims to describe how students' CT is manifested through their directive decision-making (DDM) style when solving open-plan geometry problems. This research employed a qualitative case study approach, involving 37 mathematics education students identified as having a DDM style from four universities in East Java, Indonesia. Data were collected through questionnaires, open-ended problem-solving tests, interviews and think-alouds to capture cognitive processes. Data were analyzed using the stages of data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing. Findings indicate that the DDM is characterized by a systematic, structured and rapid approach to problem-solving. Students with a DDM style demonstrate strengths in fluency, flexibility and detailed procedural elaboration. However, their originality tends to be limited, as they largely rely on standard and familiar procedures. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of examining how directed and efficiency-oriented thinking styles interact with CT processes that require flexibility, originality and exploration in the context of mathematics learning. © 2026, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved.
Department of Mathematics, Universitas Negeri Malang, East Java, Malang, Indonesia; Department of Mathematics Education, Universitas Bung Hatta Padang, West Sumatera, Padang, Indonesia
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