COMPARATIVE TEACHING EXAMPLE RELATED TO COURSE ACTIVITIES DEVELOPING TRANSFER SKILL IN PROBLEM SOLVING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN SOUTHEAST ANATOLIA REGION

As of 2004-2005 school year, principles of constructivism have been adopted to a great extent in the education system of Turkey. In the present study, the lessons were video recorded in order to observe the activities to develop the transfer skills used in problem solving by the students attending 4th and 5th grades of elementary schools in Tarsus province of Icel in Southeast Anatolian Region. Moreover, lessons were also video recorded in order to observe the problem solving behaviors of the 6th grade Turkish students attending Turkish language lessons given by a Turkish teacher in Linden province of Hannover in Germany. The lessons given in Linden and Tarsus were compared in terms of “environment and process” through tables. It was concluded that the environmental conditions existing in the elementary school in Southeast Anatolian Region are not suitable for constructivist applications and here, it was observed that direct instruction model was continuously in use. On the other hand, at the school in the Linden region, while transfer skills necessary for real life are being developed, “asking question and discussion” behaviors are also gained. Key words: inert / flexible knowledge; direct instruction model; invention; self-explaining.