Teachers opinions about the primary 4th graders decision making skills

Considering the effect of decisions made in present conditions in which the society and individuals have a variety of needs, it is an important necessity to raise individuals who can make effective and reasonable decisions. Due the change in the education system in 2012, Turkey has 12-year compulsory education with three interrupted 4-year periods. Therefore, it is important for 4th graders to able to make a preference for the next education period, generate solutions for the problems they encounter in daily life and choose one of these solutions. In other words, making choices as one of the necessities of democratic and social life is one of the duties of educated individuals. In this sense, identifying the factors affecting the decision making skills which are supposed to be acquired during adolescence is considered as significant in terms of developing and using these skills appropriately. The aim of this study is to identify the opinions of primary school teachers about factors affecting primary 4th graders? decision-making skills. The study was conducted with 171 primary school teachers working at the schools in the Tepebasi and Odunpazari districts of Eskisehir in the 2012-2013 academic year. The descriptive scanning method was used in this study. As for the findings primary 4th graders? decision-making skills vary depending on personal and environmental feature. Besides, the characteristics of the decisions students face is among the determiner factors. It was also examined the sub-skills that the students use in their decision-making skills. Considering the findings of the study, it was concluded that personal feature such as academic success, gender, past experiences and decision-making style, and environmental feature such as family, teachers and friends affected the participants? decision-making skills. It was presented that students had difficulties in making important and complicated decisions. Considering the decision-making process skills, it was found that primary 4th graders didn?t have any trouble with gathering information; however, they had difficulty in understanding the problem. To sum up, depending on the primary school teachers? opinions, it can be concluded that primary 4th graders? decisions can be shaped by the effects of personal and environmental characteristics, and factors such as the characteristics of the decision and the decision-making process skills. Key Words: primary school, social studies, decision-making skills