The Effectiveness of The Design Thinking Teaching Strategy on The Problem Solving Style Ability of Elementary School Students In The Course of Thinking And Research

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an active and immersive learning approach that equips individuals with the skills to tackle real-world challenges. By fostering problem-solving abilities in students, educational systems can undoubtedly achieve their goals. As learners' decision-making and optimal solution-selection abilities improve, they can effortlessly meet their daily needs and achieve greater success (Yeung, Yuen, Chen & Lam, 2023). However, considering the current state of students' critical thinking skills, it seems that educational systems have not been entirely successful in fulfilling this mission. Existing educational and pedagogical approaches, particularly in developing countries, emphasize eclectic, unidirectional methods, and prioritize teacher and curriculum authority. This approach stifles students' focus on problem-solving, creative thinking, and independent learning, creating significant obstacles to the development of problem-solving skills. On the other hand, advanced educational systems, particularly in developed nations, emphasize the importance of strengthening problem-solving approaches to enable students to generalize their knowledge and learning to new situations (Gaulton, Crowe, & Sherman, 2023). It seems that one of the educational methods in this field is the instructional strategy of design thinking. Design thinking, as a novel approach for innovation and problem-solving, has attracted the attention of many researchers. Given the integrative capabilities of design thinking, the present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of integrating the design thinking instructional strategy in enhancing the quality of learning and problem-solving in the elementary-level "Thinking and Research" course. Since one of the fundamental objectives of this course is the growth and development of problem-solving skills in students, integrating the design thinking strategy into this course seems to be a promising avenue. Design thinking, as a model for restructuring methods and results, assists students in achieving creativity towards becoming deep thinkers. According to Renard (2014), design thinking is described as a cycle of (1) empathy and observation, (2) defining the problem, (3) ideation, (4) prototyping, and (5) testing. Design thinking, defined here as a learning strategy, helps in dealing with complex problems by maintaining deep learning processes in understanding the problem and various solutions (Kröper, Fay, Lindberg, & Meinel, 2010). In their study, Gaulton et al. (2023) demonstrated that design thinking serves as an effective method for fostering creative thinking environments and enhancing problem-solving learning among students. Given the points raised and the necessity to investigate research evidence regarding support for this educational approach, the present study seeks to address the question of whether integrating the design thinking instructional strategy into the "Thinking and Research" course is effective in improving the problem-solving abilities of elementary-level students.
This research employed a quasi-experimental method with a pre-test-post-test design involving a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all sixth-grade male students in Region 1 of Karaj city during the academic year 1401-1402. The sampling method for this research was accessible, and participants in the experimental group (19 individuals) and control group (19 individuals) were randomly selected. The experimental group received eight sessions of face-to-face training in design thinking, while the control group underwent the same number of sessions (eight) without this training. The data collection tool was the Problem Solving Questionnaire (Cassidy & Long, 1996). Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (analysis of covariance for hypothesis testing) were employed for data analysis.
Based on the results of the repeated measures t-test, the difference in means between the two measurement stages in both groups for both variables was statistically significant at the 0.001 level of significance (p < 0.001). Since the mean score of constructive problem-solving style in the post-test stage was higher than the pre-test stage in both groups, and the mean score of non-constructive problem-solving style in the post-test stage was lower than the pre-test stage in both groups, it can be concluded that both instructional methods, namely design thinking and traditional methods, have a positive effect on improving constructive problem-solving and reducing non-constructive problem-solving skills in elementary-level students. To determine which method had a greater effect, analysis of covariance was used.
Before conducting this test, the assumptions of the test were examined, and all were confirmed at a significance level greater than 0.05. The results of the multivariate analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference in the linear combination of constructive and non-constructive problem-solving between the two study groups. Based on the results, the difference between the two study groups in the constructive problem-solving style variable (F= 9.42, p < 0.001) and the non-constructive problem-solving style variable (F = 7.22, p < 0.001) was statistically significant. According to the adjusted means, the mean adjusted score of the constructive problem-solving style in the group receiving design thinking instruction was higher compared to the traditional method, and in the non-constructive problem-solving style variable, it was lower in the group receiving design thinking instruction compared to the traditional method, indicating that the difference in the effect of design thinking instruction compared to traditional method on both constructive and non-constructive problem-solving was significant. Based on the research findings, it is recommended to plan empowerment courses for teachers in higher education centers to familiarize them with design thinking patterns. This is important because teachers are the main drivers of design thinking in schools. Additionally, to enhance the effectiveness of the design thinking strategy, it is suggested to consider technological infrastructure, human resources infrastructure, and cultural infrastructure.