Examining the Problem Solving Skills of the 4th Grade Primary School Students with Regards to Data Handling
Abstract
The study aims to examine 4th grade primary school students’ problem solving skills in data handling. The participants in the study consisted of 90 primary school students in total, 41 of whom were girls and 49 were males. The study group included students from selected 4th grades of three state elementary schools at middle socio-economic level which were located in Muş. A data handling problem that requires frequency, tally and column chart to be used as a data collection tool. In calculating students’ scores, a rubric (Danielson & Hansen; 2016) was used. Problem solving approach, accuracy and precision, written communication are considered as variables with four levels in this rubric. When the scores of the students were examined, it was determined that the scores of the problem solving approach and accuracy scores were relatively higher than the written communication scores. The difference between the written communication scores of the girls and the communication scores of the boys was found to be significantly in favor of the girls. It was also determined that 91% of all students can draw a frequency chart, 83% can draw a tally chart, and only 63% can draw a column chart. The following recommendations can be made in line with the results obtained. Students should be given the chance in mathematics class and exams to explain, verbally and in writing, what they did and how they did. Furthermore, considering that the students had more difficulties in creating a column graph- ic than other types of graphics, more time could be allocated to activities related to drawing and read- ing column graphics.
Keywords
Problem solving skills,Written communication,Data handling,Primary mathematics
Kaynakça
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