Abstract

Problem solving skill is a skill that needs to be acquired by children in their childhood, which is needed throughout their lifetime. This skill holds an important place in the achievement of social targets and success in the learning processes. Primary education period, in which the building blocks of personality are laid and certain habits and social values are gained, consists of the most fruitful years in terms of education aiming at acquisition of problem solving skills. Acquisition of problem comprehension and solution strategies can be ensured easily and naturally by children of this age. Ensuring that children become good problem solvers is important in terms of the solution of personal, professional and social problems by using their cognitive skills. For this reason, tests are needed to measure the problem solving skills especially in early childhood. As the subject is a measurement of a skill which is needed throughout lifetime, the elaboration of a new scale rather than adaptation of a scale which has been created in another culture is deemed important in terms of the contributions it shall make to the academic studies and the education system of our country. In order to respond to the demand for a Problem Solving Scale in Turkey, a project, supported by TUBİTAK and called “The Development and Turkish Norm Study of a Problem Solving Scale for the Children who are elementary school [Grades K - 5]” was started on July 1, 2008. In this framework, it has been represented that preparing a Problem Solving Scale for children who are in elementary school [Grades 1-5].