PROBLEM-SOLVING METHOD

PROBLEM-SOLVING METHOD

It is a method in which a specific problem is given to the students and they are required to find out the solution through objective reasoning and thinking. This method is also highly suitable for teaching of science. In this method, the teacher is going to act as a guide and will be in the background and the students should take active participation in finding out the solution to the problem in hand.

The students should know what he is doing and why he is doing. The problem should be of educational importance and should have educational value and must be selected from the real life situation. Also the problem chosen should be worthwhile and should have practical value. The problem should be chosen in such a way that it can be fitted well in the present curriculum organization in the school to avoid various administrative difficulties.

Steps in problem-solving method

The following steps are involved in the problem solving method.

A. Recognizing the problem

B. Defining and interpreting the problem

C. Collecting data related to the problem

D. Organizing and evaluating the data of problem

E. Arriving at final conclusion

F. Verifying the result

A. Recognizing the problem

In this step, the teacher should organize a discussion of a problem or problems with the students and based on the discussion, the teacher should create a problem in such a way that the students should feel that it is their own problem and they should solve it. The teacher should organize the problem in such a manner that it should arouse student’s interest to study and solve it.

B. Defining and interpreting the problem

The teacher should explain the problem given to the students in detail or may be interpreted by the students themselves through discussion. All the attributes constituting the problem must be made clear to the students and the problem must be defined in a systematic manner.

C. Collection of data related to the problem

In this method, the teacher should suggest the available resources like books, journals, periodicals, etc. with respect to the problem given to the students. Also he must encourage the students to collect data from different sources.

D. Organizing and evaluating the data of problem

The data collected must be well organized by the students and all the unwanted superfluous matter should be deleted. In this stage, the teacher can help the students in arranging and classifying the materials collected in a scientific way.

E. Arriving at final conclusion

After analyzing all the important points with respect to the problem, a tentative solution may be discussed among the students and finally they will arrive at a conclusion collectively.

F. Verification of the result

Finally the solution to the problem must be verified by applying this result in a new situation to detect the discrepancies if any, in the facts already discovered.

Merits

• The students will get training in the art of solving a problem in actual life situations

• Reflective thinking and the power of reasoning can be developed with this method

• Self-confidence among the students can be developed through this method.

• It helps the students in developing the power of critical judgement as they have to think a lot to arrive at correct solution to the problem through practice

• It inculcates the habit of open-mindedness and tolerance.

Demerits

• It is difficult for the teachers to organize the content of science according to the need of the students and therefore, he cannot always give real life problems.

• It is a time-consuming process

• Textbooks and other written materials are not available as per the guidelines of the problem-solving method.

• This method is useful only for the students studying higher classes and for those who have higher level of thinking.

• All the lesson or topics cannot be taught by his method.