An examination of the problem-solving skills and daily life problem-solving skills of middle school students attending regular and boarding regional schools

Today, easier access to information has led to a greater need for individuals to be able to interpret, evaluate, and solve problems. Middle school students, in particular, are going through a period in which their abstract thinking skills are developing, their social relationships are diversifying, and the pressure to succeed academically is increasing. During this period, students' problem-solving skills are not limited to academic areas but are also closely related to the problems they encounter in their daily lives. Problem-solving skills involve the process of identifying a problem, generating solutions, evaluating alternatives, and determining and implementing an effective solution. Problem-solving skills play a critical role among these skills, enabling individuals to develop more effective strategies for dealing with problems they encounter both in school and outside of school. However, observations and student feedback reveal that many middle school students struggle to solve even simple problems encountered in daily life, leading to social conflicts, indecision in the decision-making process, and occasional reluctance to seek help, resulting in isolation. This study aims to compare the problem-solving skills of middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8 attending regular and boarding schools with their daily problem-solving skills in terms of demographic characteristics and grade level. The correlational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in this study. The participants in the study were randomly sampled from among students attending a regular school and a boarding school in the same district, and a total of 355 students were included in the study. The students participated in the study voluntarily. The data collection tools used in the study were the "Daily Life-Based Problem-Solving Skills Test," consisting of 18 questions, and the "Logical Thinking Group Test," consisting of 21 questions. The research data were analyzed using the trial version of the SPSS24 data analysis program, and since the data showed a normal distribution, parametric statistical techniques were used in the statistical comparisons. These tests are independent sample t-tests for comparisons based on gender and type of education, ANOVA tests for comparisons based on class level, and Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis for determining the relationship between variables and the effect. The research results revealed a moderate positive significant relationship between students' logical thinking and daily life-based problem-solving skills (p<.05). It was concluded that male students were at a higher level than female students in terms of both logical thinking and daily life problem-solving skills. It was concluded that students attending boarding schools had higher levels of logical thinking and daily life problem-solving skills than students attending regular schools. It was determined that as the grade level increased, there was a significant increase in students' logical thinking and daily life problem-solving skills. According to the logical thinking skills test, it was concluded that students' logical thinking levels were at a concrete level, and that there were more students who reached the transitional level among students in boarding schools than in regular schools.