Strategy Flexibility Exhibited by Gifted Middle Schoolers While Solving Non-Routine Problems

Authors : Sümeyra Balikçi, Yeliz Yazgan, Gizem Yapar Söğüt

Pages : 214-228

View : 47 | Download : 52

Publication Date : 2025-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The aim of this study is to examine the strategic flexibility demonstrated by gifted middle school students while solving non-routine problems. The study involved seven sixth-grade, six seventh-grade, and five eighth-grade students who were identified as gifted and were attending middle schools in the Yıldırım district of Bursa, Turkey. Individual interviews were conducted with each student, during which they were presented with seven non-routine problems. The students’ problem-solving processes and approaches were analyzed. Their performances were evaluated based on three main categories: selecting the most appropriate strategy, inter-task flexibility, and intra-task flexibility. Each category was scored on a scale from 1 to 4. The findings reveal that students were generally successful in selecting suitable strategies and in shifting strategies across different tasks. However, despite their overall high flexibility scores, it was observed that they struggled to change strategies or use multiple strategies simultaneously within a single problem. These findings suggest that the components of strategic flexibility may develop independently from one another.
Keywords : Matematik Eğitimi, Ortaokul Öğrencileri, Rutin Olmayan Problem, Rutin Olmayan Problem Çözme, Stratejik Esneklik

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