The Impact of Undergraduate Students’ Thinking Styles on Problem-Solving Skills

Year 2024, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 697 - 716, 01.07.2024

Cumhur Güngör , Emine Akkaş Baysal

https://doi.org/10.15869/itobiad.1299119

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the thinking styles of university students are and the effect of thinking styles on their problem-solving skills. The research used the correlational survey model because the relationship between the "thinking styles" and "problem solving skills" were examined. The sample of the research consisted of 566 undergraduate students. Personal information form, Thinking Styles Scale and Problem-Solving Inventory are used for data collection. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, t-test, Anova and Pearson correlation, regression analysis have been utilized in data analysis. The level of students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills has been observed to be at a moderate level. There is a significant difference between students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills in terms of gender. The students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills do not show a significant difference in terms of class level. There is no significant difference in the relationship between students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills in terms of age variable. There exists a significant correlation between students' thinking styles and their problem-solving abilities. Students' thinking styles have a significant effect on their problem-solving skills. This study makes an important contribution to understand the thinking styles and problem-solving skills of university students and to examine the relationships in these fields. The results show that educators and guidance professionals should support students' problem-solving skills by taking into account their thinking styles.

Keywords

Problem-Solving, Thinking Style, Learning, Reasoning Ability, Creative Thinking

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Düşünme Sitillerinin Problem Çözme Becerileri Üzerindeki Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin düşünme tarzlarını incelemek ve düşünme tarzlarının problem çözme becerileri üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmektir. Araştırma, "düşünme tarzları" ile "problem çözme becerileri" arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek için ilişkisel tarama modelini kullanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini 566 lisans öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama için Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Düşünme Tarzları Ölçeği ve Problem Çözme Envanteri kullanılmıştır. Veri analizinde ortalama, standart sapma, t-testi, Anova ve Pearson korelasyonu, regresyon analizi gibi tanımlayıcı istatistikler kullanılmıştır. Öğrencilerin düşünme tarzları ve problem çözme becerileri düzeyinin orta düzeyde olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Cinsiyet açısından öğrencilerin düşünme tarzları ve problem çözme becerileri arasında anlamlı farklılık bulunmaktadır. Sınıf düzeyi açısından öğrencilerin düşünme tarzları ve problem çözme becerileri arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmamaktadır. Yaş değişkeni ile öğrencilerin düşünme tarzları ve problem çözme becerileri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamaktadır. Öğrencilerin bilişsel tarzları ile problem çözme yetenekleri arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmaktadır. Öğrencilerin düşünme tarzları, problem çözme becerileri üzerinde anlamlı bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu çalışma, üniversite öğrencilerinin düşünme tarzlarını ve problem çözme becerilerini anlamak ve bu alanlardaki ilişkileri incelemek açısından önemli bir katkı sağlamaktadır. Sonuçlar, eğitimcilerin ve rehberlik uzmanlarının öğrencilerin düşünme tarzlarını dikkate alarak problem çözme becerilerini desteklemeleri gerektiğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

Problem Çözme, Düşünme Stili, Öğrenme, Akıl Yürütme Yeteneği, Yaratıcı Düşünme

References

• Abdi, A. (2012). A study on the Relationship of Thinking Styles of Students and their Critical Thinking Skills. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 47: 1719–1723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. sbspro. 2012.06.889.
• Akan, Y. & Günek, A. (2021). Investigation of the Relationship Between University Students’ Communication and Problem Solving Skill Levels: The Case of Muş Alparslan University Journal of University Research, 4 (1), 44-52. https://doi.org/10.32329/uad.862692
• Arslan, V. (2019). Examining the relationship between thinking styles and problem solving skills in classroom teachers. (Master's thesis). Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Institute of Social Sciences, Rize.
• Başar, G. (2011). Evaluation of problem solving and communication characteristics in nurses and journals [Master's thesis], Istanbul Bilim University Institute of Health Sciences.
• Başerer, D. (2021). Düşünme Eğitimi. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Başol, G. & Türkoğlu, E. (2009). The relationship between pre-service classroom teachers' thinking styles and locus of control. International Journal of Human Sciences, 6(1), 732-757.
• Bedel, A., & Özdemir, B. (2019). The role of automatic thinking and decision-making styles in middle school students' problem-solving skills. Marmara University Atatürk Faculty of Education Journal of Educational Sciences, 53(53), 309-325.
• Buluş, M. (2006). Assessment of thinking styles inventory, academic achievement and student teacher’s characteristics. Education and Science, 31(139), 35-48.
• Corder, G.W. & Foreman, D.I. (2009) Nonparametric Statistics for Non-Statisticians. John Wiley Sons, Hoboken, 99-105. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118165881
• Çubukçu, Z. (2004). Determination of pre-service teachers' thinking styles. Trakya University Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2), 87-105.
• Demirel, Ö. (2005). Öğretme Sanatı. (8. Baskı). Ankara: Pegem A.
• Duru, E. (2004). Thinking styles: Conceptual and theoretical framework. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, (14), 171-186.
• Erdem, H., Arslan, A., & Genc, M. (2019). The relationship between thinking styles and problem-solving abilities of university students. International Journal of Assessment Tools in Education, 6(2), 219-230. https://doi.org/10.21449/ijate.528207
• Felder, R. M., & Silverman, L. K. (1988). Learning and teaching styles in engineering education. Engineering Education, 78(7), 674-681.
• Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: A Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
• Güneş, F. (2012). Improving the Thinking Skills of Students. Journal of Turkology Research, (32), 127-146.
• Hammond, K. R., Hamm, R. M., Grassia, J., & Pearson, T. (1999). Direct comparison of the efficacy of intuitive and analytical cognition in expert judgment. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part A: Systems and Humans, 29(5), 462–467.
• Hannula, M.S. (2002). Attitude towards mathematics: Emotions, expectations and values. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 49, 25–46. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1016048823497
• Heppner, P. P., & Petersen, C. H. (1982). The development and implications of a personal problem-solving inventory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 29(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.29.1.66
• Hyde, J. S., Fennema, E., & Lamon, S. J. (1990). Gender differences in mathematics performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 139–155. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.139
• Ismail, M. A., & Baharom, M. N. R. (2019). The relationship between cognitive style and problem-solving ability among engineering students. Journal of Technical Education and Training, 11(1), 1-11.
• Jiao, Y., Zhang, X., & Li, M. (2020). The impact of thinking styles on problem-solving skills among Chinese college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1168.
• Jonassen, D.H. (1997). Instructional design models for well-structured and III-structured problem-solving learning outcomes. Educational technology research and development 45, 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02299613
• Jung, Y., & Lee, K. (2013). The relationship between cognitive styles and problem-solving ability in an online learning environment. Computers & Education, 60(1), 176-184.
• Kanbay, Y. & Okanlı, A. (2017). The effect of critical thinking education on nursing students’ problem-solving skills. Contemporary Nurse, 53(3), 313-321, doi:10.1080/10376178.2017.1339567.
• Karami, A., Fathi, M., & Fathi, Y. (2019). Thinking styles and problem-solving skills among Iranian university students. Journal of Education and Learning, 8(5), 177-187. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v8n5p177
• Kirton, M. J. (2003). Adaptation-innovation in the context of diversity and change. Routledge.
• Kozhevnikov, M. (2007). Cognitive styles in the context of modern psychology: Toward an integrated framework of cognitive style. Psychological Bulletin, 133(3), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.3.464
• Kuo, Y. C., Lu, M. T., & Chen, C. H. (2018). The relationship between thinking styles and problem-solving performance: A study of Taiwanese university students. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(1), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/80966
• Lismayani, I., Parno, P., & Mahanal, S. (2017). The correlation of critical thinking skill and science problemsolving ability of junior high school students. Jurnal Pendidikan Sains, 5(3), 96-101.
• Messick, S. (1976). Individuality in learning: Implications of cognitive styles and creativity for human development. San Francisco, CA. Jossey Bass.
• Orhan, A. (2022). The relationship between critical thinking and problem solving: A meta-analysis with correlational studies. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 10(3), 589-601. https://doi.org/10.14686/buefad.1111333
• Özdil, G. (2008). The effect of interpersonal problem solving skills training program on the interpersonal problem solving skills of children attending preschool institutions. [Master's thesis, Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi.
• Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using IBM SPSS. London: McGraw-Hill, Open University Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003117452
• Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2013). Critical thinking (E. A. Aslan & G. Sart, Çev.). Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
• Pereira, A. (2014). Examining critical and creative thinking of high school students making art in a learner directed art class [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Florida State University.
• Prabhu, V., & Ranganathan, S. (2008). The effect of cognitive style on multimedia-based problem-solving performance. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 19(1), 89-106.
• Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2013) Math Anxiety, Working Memory, and Math Achievement in Early Elementary School, Journal of Cognition and Development, 14:2, 187-202, DOI:10.1080/15248372.2012.664593.
• Rencz, F., Varga, K., & Csapó, B. (2018). Thinking styles and problem-solving performance of university students in Hungary. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110(4), 520-534. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000223
• Riding, R., & Cheema, I. (1991). Cognitive styles: An overview and integration. Educational Psychology, 11(3-4), 193–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341910110301
• Runco, M. A., & Acar, S. (2012). Divergent thinking as an indicator of creative potential. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 66–75.
• Sahin, N., Sahin, N. H., & Heppner, P. P. (1993). Psychometric properties of the Problem Solving Inventory in a group of Turkish university students. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 17(4), 379–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01177661
• Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. N. (1989). Rocky roads to transfer: Rethinking mechanisms of a neglected phenomenon. Educational psychologist, 24(2), 113-142.
• Sarpkaya, R., Arslan, A., & Genc, M. (2017). The effect of thinking styles on problem solving skills of university students. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(6), 134-139.
• Setiwan, A., Wawan, Koderi & Pratiwi, W. (2020). Game based learning in mathematics: future teachers’ viewpoint. Journal for the Mathematics Education and Teaching Practices, 1(2), 87-93.
• Song, Y., Lee, Y., & Lee, J. (2022). Mediating effects of self-directed learning on the relationship between critical thinking and problem-solving in student nurses attending online classes: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Nurse Education Today, 109(105227), 1-5.
• Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A triarchic theory of human intelligence. Cambridge University Press.
• Sternberg, R. J. (1997). Thinking styles. Cambridge University Press.
• Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Wisdom, intelligence, and creativity synthesized. Cambridge University Press.
• Sternberg, R. J., & Wagner, R. K. (1992). Thinking styles inventory, Unpublished test. Yale: Yale University.
• Sternberg, R. J., & Zhang, L.-f. (Eds.). (2001). Perspectives on thinking, learning, and cognitive styles. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
• Stoet G, & Geary DC (2013) Sex Differences in Mathematics and Reading Achievement Are Inversely Related: Within- and Across-Nation Assessment of 10 Years of PISA Data. PLoS ONE 8(3): e57988. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057988
• Taylan, S. (1990). Adaptation, reliability and validity studies of Heppner's problem solving inventory. (Unpublished master's thesis). Ankara University Institute of Social Sciences, Ankara.
• Voyer, D., Voyer, S., & Bryden, M. P. (1995). Magnitude of sex differences in spatial abilities: A meta-analysis and consideration of critical variables. Psychological Bulletin, 117(2), 250–270. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.2.250
• Yalçın B, Tetik S, Açıkgöz A. (2010). A study on the determination of the perceptions of problem solving skills and the levels of locus of control of high school students. Journal of Organization and Management Sciences, 2(2):19-27.
• Zhang, L. F., & Sternberg, R. J. (2005). A threefold model of intellectual styles. Educational Psychology Review, 17(1), 1-53.