There are a number of definitions of problem solving, and they all link the ability to solve problems with the range of thinking skills: enquiry, information processing, reasoning, evaluation, and creativity as well as problem solving.
The skill of problem solving engages us in building on known concepts, knowledge and previous experience, and using these in new ways to find solutions and answers which may not at first seem obvious.
Problem solving is not an activity with a defined product or outcome at the end, but rather a process. At the end of the process, a child, or group of children, might conclude, based on what they know and can do at the time, that there is no solution to the problem. Of course, as we get older, and our experiences multiply, we are often able to solve problems that seemed to be insoluble before.
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