Investigation of the relationship between 60-72 month-old children's motivation towards science and their problem solving skills (A sample from Afyon)

The preschool period represents a critical phase in which children are first exposed to scientific concepts and experience their strongest impulses for curiosity and exploration. The motivation and problem-solving skills developed during this stage lay the foundation for subsequent learning experiences. Accordingly, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between science-related motivation and problem-solving abilities in 60–72-month-old children. Employing a quantitative, correlational research design, data were collected from 400 preschoolers using a Demographic Information Form, the "Teacher Rating Scale of Children's Motivation for Science", and the "Problem-Solving Skills Scale". To determine the strength and direction of the association between science motivation and problem-solving skills, multiple regression analysis was performed. Additionally, one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to assess the impact of socio-economic status on both variables. The results indicated that science-related motivation was positively and significantly correlated with problem-solving skills and significantly predicted children's problem-solving performance. Furthermore, socio-economic status exerted a meaningful effect on both science motivation and problem-solving abilities: children from the "low" socio-economic group scored significantly lower on science motivation than those in the "high" group, and lower on problem-solving skills than both the "medium" and "high" groups. These findings suggest that, in early childhood, scientific motivation and problem-solving competencies develop in an integrative and mutually reinforcing manner.