Effect of problem solving strategies on problem solving achievement in primary school mathematics

This research is extracted from master thesis and searches the success of the students in the second grade primary school on problem solving strategies. The research is experimentally carried out on the second grade primary school students during 14 weeks. During the research, the experiment group has been trained about problem solving strategies in mathematics classes by the researcher while the control group was continued traditional problem solving practices. The data of this study was obtained from the two written problem solving tests including open-ended problems. These tests are applied in the middle and end of the practices and scored by rubrics. Additionaly, qualitive interviews were performed with the students to provide expalanation describing their solutions, strategies they used and their thoughts while solving the problems. At the end of the study, experiment group have been found significantly successful in the strategies of making a drawing-diagram, making a table, writing mathematical sentences, looking for pattern, making a list, using logical reasoning and guess-check strategies. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.