Journal of Inquiry Based Activities

Developing Young Children’s Emotion Regulation Skills Through Picture Books

Betül Sürek — 2025-10-31

This study was carried out to examine picture books prepared for children in the 3-6 age group in terms of supporting emotion regulation strategies. The sample group of the study consists of 113 domestic or translated children's picture books published in Türkiye between 2010 and 2022, selected using the criterion sampling method. The data were obtained by using the "Book Colophon Form" and the "Criteria List of Coping Strategies with Emotions". According to the study's findings, most of the books analyzed were translated. When the publishing years of 113 children's picture books were examined, it was found that the themes of emotions and coping with emotions were largely covered in 2019. Also, the majority of the children's picture books examined had animal characters. In the books, it was determined that functional strategies such as self-motivation, getting adult support, diverting the mind/attention, and calming down were mostly used to cope with positive and negative emotions. The findings were discussed in the context of coping strategies with emotions and emotion regulation skills in the preschool period.

Using Newman’s Error Analysis to Analyse Grade 3 Learners’ Errors in Solving Word Problems in a Diverse Classroom

Tinyiko Florence Sambo — 2025-10-31

This study focused on utilising Newman’s error analysis model to diagnose the errors made by Grade 3 learners when solving word problems in a diverse classroom setting. The research endeavour seeks to pinpoint the errors manifested by learners when tackling word problems, with the aim of offering practical approaches to bolster the instruction of word problem-solving abilities and foster a more profound comprehension of mathematical principles among Grade 3 learners in varied educational settings. A diagnostic test with seven question items was administered to 54 learners in one primary school of Waterberg district in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Consecutively, eight scripts of learners who featured the same errors were identified and they were included in semi-structured interviews to establish the cause of the errors. The outcomes unveiled that learners commit reading, comprehension, transformation, process and encoding errors. Based on the results, early identification of errors from learners and making them known is recommended as it will allow teachers to rectify them and promote learning with understanding.

Investigating the Effect of an Interactive Educational Digital Game Program on Disadvantaged Children’s Mathematical Skills and Working Memory Performance

Betül Toka — 2025-10-31

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of the Interactive Educational Digital Game Program on the Mathematics Skills and Working Memory Performance of 7-8 year old children who are hospitalized and stay in children’s homes. The study was conducted on 5 children hospitalized in Malatya İnönü University Turgut Özal Medical Center Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Liver Transplantation Service and Malatya Social Services Institution children’s home were conducted with 25 children. The prepared Interactive Educational Digital Game Program was applied one-on-one by the researcher, 3 days a week for 12 weeks. In the study, the Early Mathematical Ability Test TEMA-3 A Form Scale was used to measure children's mathematical skills and the Working Memory Scale was used to measure their development in working memory. The data obtained in the study were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test program, one of the non-parametric tests, and it was concluded that the Interactive Educational Digital Game Program increased the mathematical skills and working memory performance of 7-8 year old children who were hospitalized and stayed in children’s homes.

Worked-Out Examples with ChatGPT-Based Explanations: A Statistics Activity

Ayşe Tuğba Öner — 2025-10-31

This study aims to prepare statistics activity-targeting comprehension of the arithmetic mean, consisting of worked-out example explanations through ChatGPT for sixth graders; determine situations encountered during the implementation of the activity; ascertain the effect of the activity on students’ mathematics problem-solving performance; and obtain students’ perception about the activity. The embedded design was used in this study. A one-group pre-test-post-test design was employed to assess the situations experienced during the activity and its effectiveness. Additionally, a generic qualitative inquiry was conducted to understand the students' perceptions of the activity. Thirteen sixth-grade students were involved in the study. In addition to the activity developed, a mathematics performance test and a reflection paper were used to obtain data. As a result, ChatGPT assists students in solving problems through step-by-step explanations. The activity, which utilized ChatGPT-based explanations as a worked-out example, was statistically significant in improving students’ mathematics problem-solving performance. Additionally, it was found to be enjoyable, informative, and beneficial for students’ learning. However, ChatGPT distorted the given mathematics problem or tables in the problem and displayed incorrect explanations or solved mathematics problems by including a topic that the students had not learned, even though it was stated in the prompt.