Investıgatıon of Problem Solving Process Skills of Middle School Students in an Internet-Based Problem-Based Collaborative Learning Environment

In this study, it is aimed to examine the problem solving process skills of secondary school seventh grade students in an internet-based problem-based cooperative learning environment. The research, in which the case study model was used, was carried out as a preliminary study and a main study. Preliminary study, sixteen seventh grade students studying in a secondary school in a district of a province of the Western Black Sea Region; The main study was carried out on twelve students selected according to the purposive sampling method from the students who carried out the preliminary study. Online discussion platform, e-portfolio, weekly evaluation forms and focus group interview forms were used as data collection tools. During the data collection process, activities in which selected Science topics were associated with daily life were carried out in three stages (focus group interviews from group discussions and e-portfolio, weekly evaluation forms) that enable students to examine their problem solving and social skills used in the process. The data obtained; Content analysis was conducted to determine the problem-solving process skills of the students in the activity processes and to compare these skills in terms of student groups on the basis of activities and on a weekly basis. The most used social skills of the students in the activities were the stages of "sharing their own ideas with their groupmates", "taking into account the opinions of their groupmates" and "asking for the opinions of their groupmates"; It has been determined that problem solving skills are the stages of "defining the problem", "describing the characteristics of the problem", "gathering data for the problem" and "finding the most appropriate solution for the problem". It has been determined that students use problem solving skills more intensely in group discussions, when their social communication and interaction is the most. Nowadays, when the distance education process gains so much importance, it is suggested that the learning environment designed and implemented in the study or innovative learning environments using internet-based learning methods and techniques similar to this environment should be designed, developed and included in the curriculum.