The mediating role of mathematical creativity in mathematics achievement: A structural equation model with middle school students

The purpose of this study is to examine, from a holistic perspective, the role of socioeconomic variables such as family income and parents' years of education in explaining middle school students' mathematical creativity and mathematics achievement. Within this framework, differences in students' mathematical creativity and mathematics achievement according to individual variables such as grade level and gender, as well as environmental variables such as family educational and economic background, were investigated. In addition, the direct and indirect effects of family income, mothers' and fathers' years of education, and mathematical creativity on mathematics achievement were examined through a structural model. The study was conducted using a relational survey design. The sample consisted of 398 middle school students selected through cluster sampling from three public schools with different socioeconomic levels in a provincial center in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye. Data were collected using the Mathematical Productivity Test to assess students' levels of mathematical creativity and multiple-choice Mathematics Achievement Tests developed for each grade level. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, MANOVA/ANOVA for group comparisons, and Structural Equation Modeling were used to analyze the data. The results revealed a positive, moderate, and statistically significant relationship between mathematical creativity and mathematics achievement. Female students demonstrated significantly higher levels of mathematical creativity than male students, while no significant gender differences were found in mathematics achievement. In terms of grade level, mathematical creativity did not differ significantly, whereas mathematics achievement showed significant differences, particularly in favor of fifth-grade students. As family educational and economic levels increased, students' mathematical creativity and mathematics achievement increased significantly. Structural equation model results indicated that mathematical creativity was a strong and significant predictor of mathematics achievement and that the effects of certain socioeconomic variables on mathematics achievement were indirectly strengthened through mathematical creativity. In conclusion, the study highlights the important role of mathematical creativity in middle school students' mathematics achievement and emphasizes the need to expand learning environments that systematically support creative thinking in mathematics education, particularly for socioeconomically disadvantaged students.