THE RELATIONSHIP OF EARLY ADOLESCENT LEARNING CHARACTERISTICS TO PROBLEM SOLVING

Seventh grade life science students (N = 122) from a suburban midwestern junior high school participated in a study of the relationship between selected cognitive variables and problem-solving ability. The cognitive variables were field dependence-independence, cognitive developmental level, and learning/problem-solving style. The instruments used to gather the data were the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), the Inventory of Piaget's Developmental Tasks (IPDT), a modified version of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI), and four spatial problem-solving tasks. Data gathered from school records on the background characteristics of sex, IQ, and science achievement were included in the statistical analyses. Complete data were obtained for 87 subjects.;Statistical analyses determined that degree of field independence and cognitive developmental level were significantly related to intelligence and problem-solving ability. The best problem solvers were field independent and formal operational or transitional. Individual problem-solving style was not significantly related to problem-solving ability. There were no significant sex differences for any of the variables.;There were significant differences in the problem-solving styles used for specific tasks. Many subjects (N = 37) used different styles for different tasks; others (N = 16) used the same abstract style for all of the tasks. There as no significant difference in the problem-solving ability of the two groups.;Preferred learning/problem-solving style was not significantly related to the other variables. It was concluded that the LSI was measuring a different dimension than the other tests, which correlated significantly with intelligence.;The students (67 males and 55 females) were above average in intelligence (Otis Lennon X = 115). The majority of the students were field dependent (GEFT X = 7.6) and concrete operational (IPDT X = 49.6). All four Kolb learning style types were present in the sample. The majority of the students preferred an abstract style. Five subjects successfully completed all four problem-solving tasks.;A predictive equation was formulated for predicting 22% of problem-solving ability from the background variables as follows: Y = 2.4002 + .0937 (field independence) + .0516 (cognitive developmental level).