The Relationship between Elementary Students’ Problem Solving and Inquiry Learning Skills

Abstract

The individuals of the 21st century are expected to possess life and high end thinking skills such as entrepreneurship, creativity and problem solving skills. Problem solving skills and inquiry skills from this category are much important in terms of their place in education program and daily life. Determining the situation about these skills and relationship between these skills may be important by the content. Therefore, aim of this study is to determine relationship between students’ problem solving and inquiry learning skill perceptions. Within this aim, “problem solving skill perceptions scale” and “inquiry learning skill perceptions scale” used as data collection tools. 553 students studying in lower secondary education participated in this study. Pearson correlation coefficient used in analysis of collected data and relationship between variables were determined. As a result of data analysis, a significant and positive relationship found between students’ inquiry learning skills and problem solving skills. According to this result it was determined that these two variables affect each other in a positive way and it can be said that individuals with improved problem solving skills also have improved inquiry learning skills. Thus, in next studies it should be taken into account that using techniques and methods which encourages students to inquire would also contribute to their problem solving skill perceptions.  

Keywords

• problem solving skills,inquiry learning skills

Fen İlköğretim Öğrencilerinin Problem Çözme ve Sorgulayıcı Öğrenme Becerileri Arasındaki İlişki

Öz

21. yüzyıl bireylerinin girişimcilik, yaratıcılık ve problem çözme gibi üst düzey düşünme becerilerine sahip olmaları beklenmektedir. Bu becerilerden problem çözme ve sorgulayıcı öğrenme becerileri öğretim programındaki ve günlük hayattaki rolleri nedeniyle ön plana çıkmaktadır. Bu becerilerin durumunu ve beceriler arasındaki ilişkiyi belirlemenin önemli bir bulgu ortaya koyabileceği düşünülmektedir. Bu nedenle gerçekleştirilen bu araştırmada öğrencilerin problem çözme ve sorgulayıcı öğrenme becerileri algıları arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak “problem çözme becerileri algı ölçeği” ve “sorgulayıcı öğrenme becerileri algı ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya ilköğretim ikinci kademede öğrenim görmekte olan 553 öğrenci katılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen verilerin analizinde Pearson korelasyon katsayısı hesaplanarak değişkenler arasındaki ilişki belirlenmiştir. Verilerin analizi sonucunda öğrencilerin sorgulayıcı öğrenme becerileri ve problem çözme becerileri algıları arasında anlamlı düzeyde ve pozitif yönde bir ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu sonuca göre her iki değişkenin birbirlerini olumlu yönde etkilediği ve problem çözme becerileri algıları gelişmiş bireylerin aynı zamanda sorgulayabilen bireyler oldukları söylenebilir. Bu nedenle yapılacak olan yeni araştırmalarda öğrencileri sorgulamaya yönelten yöntemlerin ve tekniklerin kullanılmasının öğrencilerin problem çözme becerileri algılarının geliştirilmesine de katkı sağlayacağı göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• problem çözme becerileri,sorgulayıcı öğrenme becerileri

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