Ponte Academic Journal Mar 2016, Volume 72, Issue 3 |
DEVELOPMENT, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY OF A SCALE FOR MEASURING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS Author(s): Selahattin ARSLAN ,Ilknur OZPINAR J. Ponte - Mar 2016 - Volume 72 - Issue 3 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2016.3.25 Abstract: Although mathematics education attaches particular importance to problem-solving skills, reliable and valid instruments available for measuring these skills are insufficient. The purpose of the present study is to develop a valid and reliable scale that can be used by teachers to assess sixth to eight grade students’ problem-solving skills. Six main steps were followed in this respect: item pool development, testing content validity, pilot scheme, actual administration, factor analysis, and reliability analysis. First, a 50-item draft was composed through a document analysis, classroom observations, and interviews with experts. Next, the draft was tested for its content validity thanks to expert judgment and in-class observations. Then, it was administered to a total of 347 mathematics teachers, and its reliability and validity were tested via SPSS and LISREL. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses concluded that the scale was highly valid and reliable. Finally, an 18-item Problem-Solving Skill Scale (PSSS) was developed, and the items were divided into three dimensions, namely comprehension, implementation, and evaluation. Hopefully, the PSSS will prove to be an effective instrument to be used by teachers, school administrators and parents to identify students’ problem-solving skills, and it will help determine what aspects of the problem-solving process are particularly problematic for students and enable particular improvements to be made accordingly
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