Examination of problem solving skills of children and parents

Individuals face many complex problems in the society they live in. The problem creates confusion and uncertainty in the human mind, is seen as a difficulty that disturbs the individual and needs to be solved. Parents are the primary people responsible for raising individuals who will develop solutions to problems. From this point of view, it is thought that parents' problem-solving perceptions, which leave their mark on every aspect of children's development processes, have an impact on children's problem-solving skills. In the light of all these thoughts, this research aimed to examine the problem-solving skills of children and the problem-solving skills of parents. Relational screening model was used in the research. The study group of the research included normal children, living with their parents in 4 independent kindergartens affiliated to Mersin Governorship Provincial Directorate of National Education in Mersin province and 3 independent kindergartens affiliated to Gaziantep Governorship Provincial Directorate of National Education in Gaziantep province, in the 2022-2023 academic year. 203 developing children and their parents (mother = 203, father = 203) were included. In the study, the Problem Solving Skills Scale for Children developed by Oğuz and Köksal Akyol (2015) and the Problem Solving Inventory developed by Heppner and Peterson (1982) were used as data collection tools. The obtained quantitative data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 26 package program. "Pearson Correlation Coefficient Significance Test" and "Regression Analysis" were used in the analysis of the data obtained. In the research results; There was no statistically significant relationship between mothers' problem-solving skills and children's problem-solving skills. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between the hasty approach sub-dimension of the Fathers' Problem Solving Inventory and children's problem solving skills (r= -.225 p<.001). Hasty approach, one of the subscales of the Father Problem Solving Inventory, alone explains 5% of children's problem solving skills. A one-unit increase in hasty approach results in a 169% decrease in children's problem-solving behavior. It was found that there was a positive, moderate and statistically significant relationship between the problem solving skills of mothers and fathers (r=.505 p<.01). Keywords: Children, Preschool Period, Problem Solving Skills, Parents