Developing social problem solving skills to enhance deep and strategic learning approaches among first-year students

Most universities in Australia list problem solving skills as a key graduate attribute. Indeed, well-developed social problem solving skills are positively linked to student and employee engagement, more adaptive stress management techniques, and superior job performance. While the importance of problem solving skills in the workplace and in educational settings is unequivocal, these skills are rarely assessed within the higher education setting. The current paper examines the extent to which one's appraisal of problem solving represents a good approximation of actual skills and can influence student learning outcomes. This paper will report on the nature of the relationships between problem solving appraisal and learning approaches among first-year students (N = 128) at a regional Australian university. As expected, high problem solving appraisal was positively associated with Deep and Strategic learning approaches; low problem solving appraisal was positive associated with Surface learning. The current paper will report how a path analysis was used to model the interrelationships of problem solving appraisal and learning approaches over two points in time. The key implications are discussed. In particular, strategies for promoting the development of effective problem solving skills and learning strategies early in a student's tertiary studies are outlined.