Abstract:

In this study, it is aimed to determine the problem-solving success of primary school third grade students according to their reading skills and their difficulties in problem solving process. The data were obtained through the reading comprehension text consisting of a total of 12 questions for the reading skills of the participants and six open-ended questions for mathematics problem solving skills. In the study, a case study (a qualitative one) was used because it was aimed to determine the difficulties faced by the students in problem solving stages and to investigate the behaviors in problem solving process according to their level of reading comprehension skills. With this aim, the interviews were conducted with the participant students consists of six third grade students, who represent high-middle-low group depending on the level of reading comprehension, selected from a total of ninety-third grade students in the province of Kocaeli in 2018-2019 academic year. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. According to the results of the study, it was understood that the students with low level of reading comprehension had problems in all stages of problem solving while the students with high level of reading comprehension were successful in all problem-solving stages. Besides, these students had problems in controlling the solution and problem formation stages in general according to the level of reading comprehension. Additionally, the results were discussed in the light of the literature and suggestions were made for the difficulties in problem solving depending on the level of reading comprehension. 

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