Problem solving: a scenario of critical thinking in the science didactics

There are many theoretical perspectives that include problem solving within the components of thinking. Some of these perspectives consider it a skill (Laskey & Gibson, 1997; Halpern, 1998), others an attitude (Paul, Elder & Bartell, 2003), some others a constituent element (Tamayo, Zona & Loaiza, 2014) or the scenario where critical thinking takes place (Bailin, 2002). Despite this conceptual dispersion, it is evident how problem solving is a fundamental part in the formation of critical thinking. For this reason, a study was conducted with 163 students belonging to 5 educational institutions in the city of Manizales, fourth and fifth graders, from which information from 9 instruments was collected and analyzed, which allowed to design and propose 6 levels of problem solving situations that were contrasted with the different theoretical perspectives, evidencing better development in the levels of problem solving as the intervention in the classroom progresses