Determinants of Problem-Solving Skills in Natural and Social Subjects of Primary School Students in Vietnam

Abstract

One of the important skills of the 21st century is problem solving. This is an important skill in the group of thinking skills and it is indispensable in the life of every human being in the world. In education, problem-solving skills are also one of the necessary and important skills to form and develop for students. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors affecting the problem-solving skills in natural and social subject of primary school students in Vietnam. The exploratory factor analysis method was used to determine the factors and processed data through SPSS software. Research results from 250 primary school students (grades 1 to 3) from different regions living in Vietnam have shown 7 main factors affecting problem-solving capacity through the natural and social subject of primary school students including: student trust and effort; attitude towards the subject; teaching skills of teachers; concentration; perseverance; the need to communicate with the surroundings, and the motivation for academic achievement. This research result provides more theoretical basis for education researchers, from which to have teaching strategies to develop problem-solving capacity for students.