Teachers' Perception Of Developing Problem Solving Skills In Primary Education

Abstract

Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council from 18 December 2006, on key competences for lifelong learning urges EU governments to include teaching and learning of key competences in their lifelong learning strategies. The recommendation identifies eight key competencies that are fundamental to each person within a knowledge-based society. In an increasingly globalized world, people need a wide range of skills to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. The original lifelong learning program was designed to provide people with learning opportunities at all stages of life. The work is based on the idea that problem solving is part of the thinking process and is considered as the most complex of all intellectual functions, being considered a higher order cognitive process. It occurs when the body becomes stuck and does not know how to proceed from the current state to the desired state. It is part of a larger process, which includes identifying a problem and formulating it. Therefore, in school it is absolutely necessary to pay more attention to the process of developing problem solving skills, within projects and beyond. The purpose of our research was to discuss with the teachers and to analyze their experiences regarding their own ways of guiding the development of the resolving skills for the students in the primary education.

Keywords: Teachersprimary educationproblem solving skillsdifficultiescompetences

Introduction

Most people would agree that 21st century skills are those skills that are or will be needed to succeed in the workplace and life in this century. According to UNICEF (2004), "Life skills" are defined as psychosocial skills necessary for adaptive and positive behavior, which enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of daily life. They are grouped into three broad categories of skills: cognitive skills for analyzing and using information, personal skills for personal agency development and self-management, and interpersonal skills for effective communication and interaction with others.

The World Economic Forum (2019) recently published a report outlining the skills that will be considered indispensable in the workplace by 2020. The most important ones are considered the following: solving complex problems, critical thinking, creativity, human resource management, coordination with other colleagues, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision making, social and professional orientation, negotiation and cognitive flexibility. Teams in the workplace are becoming more and more diverse, which means that we need to be more and more sensitive to the way we communicate to each other and the way we contribute to solving the problems that arise, which implies the involvement of the group. Consequently, rethinking the value and importance of these skills, to the detriment of accumulating information, is an essential process.

A new trend is affirming more and more and it refers to the way in which traditional education is broken down from larger packages of knowledge in smaller segments, which can be combined and adapted to personalize learning process to the needs of each potential student. Therefore, in addition to teaching the disciplines, we, as teachers, need to help students to develop their creativity, communication skills, problem solving skills, emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills, even if, at first glance, this may seem a little discouraging and provocative for teachers. It is also necessary to capitalize on the elements of community identity in the school, in order to better anchor our students in the reality that surrounds him (Scridon & Ilovan, 2015, 2016) and, also, to have a better knowledge of the benchmarks on which the didactic activity is based (Dulamă, Ilovan, Bagoly-Simó, & Magdaș, 2019).

The ability to solve problems that have arisen is always necessary, both in the long term, for the purpose of professional integration, but also in the short and medium term, in order to obtain an increased degree of autonomy in school and society. From a professional point of view, in the workplace, employees are always put in 3 similar situations: either solve a problem for a client (internal or external), or support them in finding solutions for those who have discovered problems in the work process, or discover themselves new problems which need solutions. Also, the ability to overcome problems efficiently and creatively is just as important for a fulfilled personal life, for harmonious personal and social relationships, as for a successful career.

Primary education cannot be considered a premature moment for stressing actions that support the process of developing problem solving skills, because, even in the absence of a remarkable life experience, children begin to want to become independent and gain autonomy, as a sign of their development.

Problem Statement

Children face various problems daily: at home, at school or in the social environment in which they relate. Moreover, as they grow older, problems become more complex, harder to solve, and they are less time-consuming in the presence of adults they know they can rely on. As a family, close friends or teachers we cannot always be there to solve them. problems that arise and this is not necessary. On the contrary, it is harmful, because it contravenes our purpose of assisting in the gradual attainment of personal and social autonomy. An uncertain child, who always asks for the help and approval of the mother or father and who needs constant support, will be dealing much harder in life compared to a bold, energetic child, able to overcome uncertainty, mistakes or frustrations and come up with creative solutions. The purpose of this study is to analyse the strategies that teachers use when are taking in consideration the development of problem-solving skills for primary school students and how they can create an environment that favours problem solving process.

Research Questions

The research questions were derived from the study author's desire to look more carefully at how primary school teachers relate to the process of developing problem-solving skills. Thus, we found it useful to find out:

• Is the period of primary education a suitable one for triggering the process of developing problem solving skills, from teacher’s point of view? Why?

• What strategies do teachers use to develop problem-solving skills?

• What are the benchmarks for how to build a stimulating environment for problem-solving skill?

• What are the difficulties encountered by students and teachers in developing problem-solving skills?

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to analyse more closely how primary school teachers relate to the process of developing problem solving skills, as a fundamental skill of the 21st century. We believe that sharing information derived from professional experience, from one teacher to another, can be a fundamental milestone in improving the process of supporting the training of this skill.

Research Methods

Findings

Prior to conducting the group interview, I established 4 fundamental questions and also left room for additional information, spontaneously obtained from the participant.

Conclusion

According to the World Economic Forum (2019), in 2020 the ability to solve complex problems will become the most important skill an adult needs in a career. Therefore, teachers have the obligation to teach according to the documents that provide the key competences formed for living in the 21st century. The continuous training for teachers implies the development of certain professional competences, but also of certain transversal competences (Jucan, 2017). We also consider important to emphasize the fact that creativity fuels the ability to solve problems, the ability to innovate and to explore new and unusual areas. Reflective thinking, on the other hand, has benefits for learning also (Andronache, Bocoș, Bocoș, & Macri, 2014) It is a cornerstone of ingenuity that leads to success in the world of art, but also in science and technology. Even though the field of e-learning is becoming more and more contoured (Dulamă, Ilovan, Ciascai, & Maroşi, 2015), it is the fineness of human perception that we consider it will continue to be the main element in the problem-solving process. The purpose of this study was to analyse the strategies that teachers use it when considering developing problem solving skills in primary school and the practical way in which they manage to create an environment that favours problem solving process.

References

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