The Effects of problem solving method on the 4. grade students school achievement and their affective characteristics on a social studies unit

SUMMARY The purpose of this research is to identify the effects of using "problem solving method" on the students' success and affective characteristics in the primary schools' social studies lessons. In the centrum of Manisa, the 4th class students of 25 primary schools which are directed by National Education Ministry formed the population of this research. The two different 4th class Section of Manisa Gazi Primary School became the sample of this research. In the choice of these sections, the schools from which the class-teachers graduated, their professional seniorities, and the similarity of the sexes and the ages were all taken into consideration. To study the effects of the "problem solving method" on the students' success, the pre-test post-test design with different control groups was used. In the experimental group social studies lesson of the 4th class of primary school "History, Anatolia in History, Turks and Islam" lessons are conducted by "problem solving method" and in control groups this has been conducted by conventional method. The achievement test composed of 80 questions standardized by applying, validity, confidential researches prepared as to occupy the aimed behaviors as a data gathering instrument. For identifying the effects of "problem solving method" on the students' affective characteristics, post-test design with different control groups was used. In the research as a data gathering instrument "a questionnaire of affective characteristics properties" that was prepared as 4 categories and two different parts by the researcher was used. Data was analyzed by SPSS program and arithmetic mean, standard deviation, percentage, t test (the significance test of the difference between the two averages,the significance test of the two same), used. In the research, the followings are determined: 1- There is no significant difference between the means of gain scores of experimental and control groups on pre-achievement test.2- There is a significant difference between the means of gain scores of experimental group on pre and post achievement scores. 3- There is a significant difference between the means of gain scores of control group on pre and post achievement scores. 4- There is no significant difference between the means of gain scores of experimental and control groups on post-achievement scores. 5- The difference between the first and the last test's scores of the experimental group is higher than the control group's difference. The difference was found statistically significant. Using 'problem solving method' is more efficient than the traditional method to high the academically success in social studies lessons. 6- a) Experimental group's aimed behaviors which are on the affective domain taking step become true more than the control group. b) The level of the ability to express the impressions in National Education Ministry's social studies program is higher than the control group. c) Presently, all the students of the experimental group told that they joined the problem solving apply by themselves, the apply made them to learn better and they told that they wanted to continue the lessons with the "problem solving method". d) The students of experimental group interests in history were concentrated around the reply "I loved a lot", and the control group's students' were concentrated around the reply "I loved". Although there were students who did not like history from the control group, there was nobody from the experimental group. e) The majority of experimental group's students thought that the time for the history lesson was insufficient. But the control group's students thought the opposite. f) All of the experimental and control groups' students emphasized that history lesson was necessary. But while the students in the experimental group were defending the necessity of the history lesson, more than the half of control group's students could not explain it. VI