Enhancing Critical Thinking and Creativity in Mathematics: An Explanatory Sequential Investigation of Teachers’ Instructional Strategies

Improving students’ performance in Mathematics remains a global priority to enhance critical and creative thinking skills. This study examined the quality of instructional strategy implementation and measured the levels of critical and creative thinking among Grade 7 students through an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach. The quantitative phase utilized the STAR Observation Tool to assess instructional strategies and standardized tests adapted from the Grade 7 MATATAG Curriculum to evaluate students’ critical and creative thinking abilities. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews to explore students’ perspectives on effective teaching strategies. The study was conducted among 9 Grade 7 Mathematics teachers selected through census sampling and 279 students from eight public secondary schools in Tampakan District, selected by means of cluster and simple random sampling. Results from the quantitative phase revealed that teachers’ instructional strategies were implemented at a very satisfactory level, and students demonstrated a good level of critical and creative thinking. However, no significant relationship was found between instructional strategy quality and students’ cognitive skill levels. In contrast, qualitative findings indicated that students found problem-solving tasks, research-based projects, inquiry-based methods, and interactive activities to be particularly effective in developing their higher-order thinking skills. These findings emphasize the importance of enhancing instructional quality and promoting innovative, student-centered teaching methods to foster critical and creative thinking in Mathematics. The study also calls for continued research to support curriculum development and improve instructional practices in diverse educational settings.