The correlation between mathematical literacy self-efficacy levels and problem-solving skills of adults

The objective of the study is to reveal the levels of mathematics literacy self-efficacy and problem solving skills of adults, to examine the correlation between each other and to deal with these two levels in terms of variables of gender, age, income level, education level. In the study, relational survey model was used which is one of the screening models that provides revealing the existing situation. The study group consisted of 300 adults having lived in Bartın and İstanbul between 2018-2019 who were selected with convenient sampling method. The data of the study was gained by the Mathematics Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (MOQ) developed by Özgen and Bindak (2008) and the Problem Solving Inventory (PÇE) developed by Heppner and Peterson (1982), which was adapted to Turkish by Şahin, Şahin and Heppner (1993). According to the findings; It was found that mathematics literacy self-efficacy levels of adults did not show a meaningful variation according to variables such as monthly income level, age and gender, and university graduates had higher mathematics literacy self-efficacy levels than primary school graduates. While the problem solving skills of the adults did not vary meaningfully according to variables such as gender, age, monthly income level, it was found to vary meaningfully in terms of education level. It was found that high school graduates had higher problem solving skills compared to primary school graduates. In the process of problem solving; It was found that women showed less self-confident approach than men and university graduates were more hasty than secondary school graduates. It was also determined that university graduates approached not more avoidance than primary school graduates and high school graduates approached more planned than primary school graduates. In the PÇ process, it was identified that adults between the ages of 31-40 showed not more avoidance approach than adults between the ages of 20-30. It was observed that adults without income preferred not more evaluative approach than adults with monthly income between 2001-4000 TL. It was found that there was a middle correlation between mathematics literacy self-efficacy level and problem solving skills of adults. Key Words: Lifelong learning, mathematics literacy, problem solving, adult