The process of solving the context-based pressure questions of 8th grade students

In this research, the process of solving the context-based pressure questions of 8th grade students was examined. It is aimed that the students express what they think while they are solving the context-based pressure questions, how they comment, which information and experience they use when they try to find the solution. Case studies method, one of the qualitative research designs, was used. The sample of this study consisted of 12 students, six girls and six boys studying at 8th grade of a state secondary school in a town in the Central Black Sea Region in 2019-2020 academic year. In the selection of working group, the equality of the numbers of boys and girls and their success level are the criterias of sampling. The data was collected by using multiple choice questions. The questions were 12 context-based pressure questions of 8th grade students. It is asked from the students that they think out loud while they were answering the questions. In this research, the interviews with the students were recorded. Then they were transferred into writings and the data was analyzed with content analysis method. At the results of the study, it was determined that data shows variations according to academic success of the students. While solving the questions and explaining the ways of solution, students with high academic success, easily related to science topics and gave correct answers by making scientifically accepted statements. Most of the students, who have medium success levels, used less scientific knowledge when explaining the solutions than students with high academic success. Some of them explained the questions based on their experiences but they can not relate the question with the subject of 'pressure'. In other words, they could not relate the scientific knowledge that they learned at the science class with daily life. Some of these students had misconceptions about the subject, even if they answered the questions correctly and it was appeared that they have deficiencies about the subject of pressure. The majority of students with low academic averages had not sufficient conceptual knowledge caused lack of understanding, misconceptions and misinterpretation while solving contextual pressure questions. Moreover, it has been determined that the some students wrongly explained the questions. Some of the students with low academic averages could not explain the other distractors sufficiently after reaching their own answers. In this study, it was found that students with low academic averages have difficulties in solving context based questions and have more misconceptions than students with high and medium academic averages. These misconceptions are; "If the amount of liquid is high, its pressure will be high.", "The pressure increases as the surface area increases in the solid pressure.", "Open air pressure increases as you go up high.", "As the density of the liquid increases, the fluid pressure decreases." In line with the results, various suggestions were proposed to teachers, academics and cirriculum developers. Keywords: Context-Based Problems, Pressure, Problem Solving Processes.