The Difficulties of Gifted Primary School Students While Solving Non-Routine Problems

Abstract

This study aims to determine the difficulties that gifted 4th grade primary school students have in solving non-routine problems. A case study design was used in the study. Twenty-four gifted primary school students studying at a Science and Art Center in the central district of a province in the northeastern part of Turkey were selected through convenience sampling. The gifted students were asked seven open-ended non-routine problems, each of which could be solved with a different strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine the difficulties experienced by the four gifted students who scored the least from the open-ended problem solving test in solving non-routine problems. The data obtained were analyzed with descriptive analysis. As a result of the analysis, it was found that most of the gifted 4th grade students were successful in solving non-routine problems and they were successful in reasoning, making systematic lists, making tables, writing mathematical sentences and estimation-control strategies while solving problems, but they could not show sufficient success in the strategy of drawing shapes. Result was determined that the reason for the difficulties experienced by gifted primary school 4th grade students in solving non-routine problems stemmed from the step of understanding the problem.