• School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.481-494
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• 2017

Tasks of multiple solutions have been said to be suitable for the cultivation of mathematical creativity. However, studies on the fact that multiple solutions presented by students are useful or meaningful, and students' thoughts while finding multiple solutions are very short. In this study, we set goals to confirm the qualitative differences among the multiple solutions presented by the students and, if present, from the viewpoint of mathematical creativity. For this reason, after presenting the set of tasks of the two versions to eight mathematically gifted students of the second-grade middle school, we analyzed qualitative differences that appeared among the solutions. In the study, there was a difference among the solution presented first and the solutions presented later, and qualitatively substantial differences in terms of flexibility and creativity. In this regard, it was concluded that the need to account for such qualitative differences in designing and applying multiple solutions should be considered.