Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi (Mar 2019)

The Analysis of Reflective Thinking Skill Toward Problem Solving of Students With Good at Solving Problems

  • Alaattin Pusmaz,
  • Sevilay Tavşan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.24106/kefdergi.2887
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 2

Abstract

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The aim of this research is to examine the reflective thinking skill of students with good mathematical problem-solving skill with respect to general problem solving. A qualitative research technique, case studying, was used in this study. Three students who were good at solving math problems were participants in this research. Individual problem-solving activities, group problem-solving activities, semistructured interviews, and video and voice recordings were used as data collection tools. Received data were analyzed by using a descriptive analysis approach. To analyze how the students perform reflection during the examination process, a conceptual framework was used for descriptive analysis by considering five factors, such as knowledge, experience, feeling/emotion, context, and a group friend. These factors correspond to the reflection in a three-dimensional theoretical framework that Hong and Choi (2011) introduced in their studies. Depending on the thematic framework made, data were read and edited. As a result of this research, it was found that not only were the students good at knowledge-, experience-, and context-based themes but also at presenting reflections in feeling-/emotion- and group-friend-based themes; however, in some cases, these students found it difficult to reflect when constrained by specified indicators; they engaged in some deficient reflections or they could not reflect at all.

Keywords