problem solving skills

Purpose : The present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between problem solving skills with self-efficacy and social adjustment of Kermanshah female students. Methodology : This research in terms of purpose was applied and in terms of implementation method was cross-sectional from type of correlational. The study population was female high school students in Kermanshah city in the 2021-2 academic year with number 4100 people, that the sample size based on Krejcie and Morgan table was estimated 350 people who were selected by cluster method. Data were collected with using the problem solving skills inventory (Hepner and Patterson, 1982), self-efficacy scale (Scherer et al., 1982) and social adjustment subscale in adjustment inventory (Sinha & Singh, 1993) and their face validity was confirmed by experts and their reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha method were obtained 0/80, 0.82 and 0.87, respectively. To analyze the data were used from the methods of Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with enter model in SPSS software. Finding : The findings showed that problem solving skills and its dimension including problem solving confidence, approach-avoidance style and personal control had a positive and significant correlation with self-efficacy and social adjustment of female students. Also, the findings showed that the dimensions of problem solving skills were able to significantly predict the self-efficacy and social adjustment of female students (P<0.001). Conclusion : The results indicated the effective role of problem solving skills in predicting self-efficacy and social adjustment of female students. Therefore, education system specialists and planners to improve their self-efficacy and social adjustment can promote their problem-solving skills.

Scientific thinking is a type of knowledge seeking involving intentional information seeking, including asking questions, testing hypotheses, making observations, recognizing patterns, and making inferences. The purpose of this research was designing a package of scientific thinking training and its ‘effect on problem-solving skill in preschool children. For this purpose, a study was designed in two steps. At first time, based on Kuhn theory and by reviewing and analysing available resources, the scientific thinking training package was designed. This teaching package includes discussions between the researchers and the child about stories with topics related to children's environment that they may not have encountered in everyday situations in the form of questions. At second step, in order to determine the effect of scientific thinking training on problem-solving, 30 children aged 5 to 6 (15 girls-15 boys) with a moderate score in Raven intelligence test was chosen from three primary schools. Subjects were trained individually in scientific thinking for 8 sessions. Data were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Findings showed that teaching scientific thinking significantly improves problem solving skills (p <005) and this effect is stable over time. The results of this study show that preschool education and interaction with teacher is an opportunity to provide stimulus situations appropriate to children's abilities, and provide conditions for improving problem-solving.