Abstract:
The purposes of this research were : (1) to collect the kinds of problems occurring to the students, (2) to identify the patterns of the students problem solving behaviors in urban and rural schools and (3) to study the factors causing the problems and affecting the students' problem solving decision. Multicases qualitative research was conducted to study 2 cases of Prathom Suksa 6 students in urban community and rural community The research results were as follows : 1. Three types of problems confronted by the students were problems dealing with personal interactions, environments, and personal needs. 2. The patterns of problem solving behaviors consisted of 2 types, one was dealing with problems by oneself and the other was getting help from others. In the former pattern, problem solving behaviors concerning personal interactions included 4 subtypes. They were : (1) submission or avoidance, (2) confrontation, (3) tension release, and (4) compromise. The pattern of Problem solving behaviors concerning the environments and personal needs also included 4 subtypes. They were : (1) repetitions of former behaviors. (2) finding compensations, (3) planning to solve the problems by applying former knowledge and (4) using defense mechanism. In getting help from others, the patterns included 2 subtypes, one was getting help from peers and the other was getting help from adults. 3. The 7 factors causing the problems dealing with personal interactions were personalities, attention callings, getting reinforcement from disputant's reactions, former conflicts, lack of material, activities provided by teachers or schools, and being without adults in the situations. The 12 factors causing the problems were personalities, unsatisfied consequences received, perceiving of the disputants' disgusting behaviors, former conflicts, characteristics of the materials, the roles being assigned, activities provided by the teachers or schools, determined rule or time, students' families economical status, school inadequate resource, family status and child rearing, and states of being an urban or a rural community. The 15 factors affecting the problem solving decisions were former knowledge and experiences, sex, personalities, attitudes toward problem solving, unsatisfied consequences received, engagement in activities of interest, weakness in fighting, following of the models, accepting of the adult advices, the roles being assigned, cultural rules or regulations, family status and child rearing, and states of being an urban or a rural community.