The effect of activity based algorithm education on the problem-solving skills of 5-6 years old children

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Activity Based Algorithm Training on Problem Solving Skills of 5-6 Years Old Children. To form the study group of the study, firstly, schools were determined with a similar sampling method which is a kind of purposive sampling method. In this framework, first of all in the formation of the working group; Two classes of children of the same age group and similar developmental stages were identified in Bağışlar Foundation Kindergarten in Bolu city center. These classes were assigned as experimental and control group. In the 2018-2019 academic year, a total of 29 children were included in the study, of which 16 children from one class in the Bolu Bagisçılar Foundation Kindergarten in the central district of Bolu province and 13 children in the other class were the control group. Personal Information Form and 5-6 Age Problem Solving Skills Scale (PSSS) were used as data collection tools. The 8-week (24-activity) Activity-Based Algorithm Training Applications prepared by the researcher for the experimental group were carried out three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) with 30 minutes for each session. In this process, no activity-based algorithm training was applied to the problem-solving skills with the children in the control group, and the daily program of the Preschool Education Program (for 36-72 Months Old Children) of the Ministry of National Education was updated in 2013. To determine the permanence of Activity Based Algorithm Training Applications, four weeks after the application was completed, the problem-solving skill scale was re-administered to the children in the experimental and control groups. In the analysis of the data; pre-test scores, Mann Whitney U Test, one of the non-parametric statistical tests, pre-test and post-test scores for comparison of both sub-groups before and after the application, Wilcoxon Sign-rank test, non-parametric statistical tests In order to evaluate the status of experimental and control groups after the application, post-test scores were also used for the Mann Whitney U Test, which is one of the nonparametric tests, and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was used for the comparison of post-retention test of the experimental and control groups. The significance level was accepted as 0.05 when interpreting the results. As a result of the research, it was seen that there was no significant difference in the problem-solving skills of the children in the experimental and control groups participating in the Activity Based Algorithm Training Applications according to gender and age (p> 0.05), and when the test scores of the experimental group were examined, a significant difference was found (p < 0.05). Also, it was observed that the effect of the application on the experimental group was maintained with the retention test applied to the experimental and control group four weeks after the last test, and no change was observed in the control group. According to these analyses, it was found that Activity-Based Algorithm Training Applications affected improving children's problem-solving skills. According to these results; In the stages of this education given in the preschool period, educational practices that support children's problem-solving skills should be strengthened with various types of activities. Thus, the development of problem-solving skills of preschool children can be supported. Keywords: algortihm, problem solving skills, preschool period, activity based algorithm training.