MANUAL

RESEARCH PROJECT

B.Ed. (1.5 Year)

Course Code: 8613

Name: Saba Rukhsar

Roll No. 0000210700
Semester: Spring 2023
Region: Peshawar

Theme: Soft Skills

Sub-theme: Problem Solving

Topic: Developing Problem-Solving Skills through creative learning among

grade 8 Students

Name of the School (where the action research was conducted):

FG Girls High Public School, Peshawar

Overall background of the participants of the project; area / school: (socio-economic

status, occupation / profession – earning trends of majority of the parents, literacy rate,

academic quality, and any other special trait of the community where the school is

situated) (10 marks)

Background of Participants:

The participants of the study were 8 th grade students who were enrolled in FG Girls High

Public School, Peshawar. I chose students for the 8th class, which has a total of 18 members.

Students' enthusiasm for the task and the interview stemmed from their interest in the

research.

School Area:

The school structure was large and beautiful in general. The school had a wonderful

playground. It had all of the necessary offices. The school staff was extremely knowledgeable

and helpful. In addition, the head of the school assisted me in my studies at that academy.

Generally speaking, the earth of school was great and better for learning.

Financial status:

Socioeconomic status is the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often

measured as a combination of education, income and occupation. Examinations of

socioeconomic status often reveal inequities in access to resources, plus issues related to

privilege, power and control. Most of Parents from this area are Govt. employee but some of

them are shopkeeper or work in private offices. Most of parents do not afford children

education due to their family expenses and their low income but some parents support their

children at higher level in well reputed universities. But due to the lack of higher educational

institute and low income of their parents, more than 60% children stop their education after

matriculation. Overall the financial status of this area is good.

Occupation and Earning trend of Parents:

Parents with Govt. jobs and small businessman are in a better condition to help and support

their children educationally, mentally and profoundly. However, Parents with low income

because of expenses and low salaries issues can't give satisfactory to up level their children

education. The control of the Parents in this research from this area is normal. A part of the

Parents is not monetarily so good. The children who Parents with government jobs are more

verified and their family finds a sense of contentment moderately contrasted with the

individuals who work in private association. They are consistently in dissatisfaction. Due to

low earning trend of this area, the children face a great deal of difficulties both at home and

school, which block them from taking an interest completely in classroom exercises. In past,

some parents drop their children at different shop for learning work and for earning but today

due to free education in Pakistan more than 80% children go to school till then matriculation.

Literacy Rate:

At the time of the 2017 census, the district had 499,268 households and a population of

4,331,959. Peshawar district had a sex ratio of 943 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate

of 55.01% - 68.78% for males and 40.47% for females. 1,969,823 (45.47%) lived in urban

areas, mainly Peshawar city. 29.90% of the population were under 10 years of age

Academic Quality:

This school works better towards the end goal. Its expectations are high. This school has also

good leaders at all level.

Q.1

Why did you select this specific sub-theme and topic? Relate it to your experience /

problem in your classroom / institution. (10 marks)

(Give the background and rationale of the study)

Theme: Soft Skills

Sub-Theme: Problem Solving

Topic Developing Problem-Solving Skills through creative learning among

grade 8 Students

Reason for choosing specific sub-theme and Topic:

I chose this specific sub-theme and topic due because Problem

solving is considered a valuable learning opportunity. Problem-solving is the most important

skill needed by today’s children everywhere, including both in school and out of school

learning and achievement. It allows students to see things differently and learn the

importance of structure and organization, the benefit of questioning and debate, and to do

things in a different way. And, that while quick fixes may suffice, better, more effective

solutions may exist. There was lack of confidence and motivation in students as they remain

quite in class. They were not interested in any activities in class. They were not participating

in group discussion and games. Some students were feeling uncomfortable in class. There

was a lack of positive attitude in them. They were not interested to learn about disciplines.

Background of the Project:

A problem is considered to occur, “when a living creature has a goal but does not know how

this goal is to be reached. Whenever one cannot go from the given situation to the desired

situation simply by action, then there has to be recourse to thinking” (Duncker, 1945).

Problem-solving is inescapable in human life and is crucial for human survival. It is one of

the fundamental skills of 21st century skill (Reisberg, 2013).

Creativity is a fundamental human capacity that underlies a wide range of cognitive, social,

and cultural phenomena, and that a clear definition of creativity is essential for understanding

and promoting this important trait (Runco &Jaeger, 2012).

Rationale of the study:

Problem-solving skill is one of the fundamental human cognitive processes. The rationale

behind this action research was to develop problem solving skills in students of class 8 th. The

research was conducted to investigate the effect of creative learning on students. It is

necessary for every student to adopt skills and behave ethically in class.

Q.2

What was your discussion with your colleague / friend / senior teacher or supervisor

regarding the problem? (05 marks)

I discussed with my colleagues, friends, senior teachers and also friends about my topic.

Discussion with Colleagues:

After discussion with colleagues first, I told them my supervisor told me Problem solving is

only one type of a larger category of thinking skills that teachers use to teach students how to

think. Other means of developing thinking skills are problem-based learning, critical thinking

skills, creative thinking skills, decision making, conceptualizing, and information processing.

Discussion with Senior Teachers. I discussed with my senior teachers. During discussions

with them, they told me Problem solving involves a combination of various factors that

contribute to effectively identifying, analyzing, and resolving challenges or issues. These

factors can greatly impact the success of problem-solving efforts. Here are some key factors

that play a role in problem solving: Gathering relevant and accurate information is essential

for making informed decisions during problem-solving. This might involve research, data

collection, and consultation with experts. Effective problem solving requires the ability to

analyze the situation, identify patterns, and evaluate potential solutions critically. This

involves logical reasoning, considering different perspectives, and avoiding biases.

Discussion with Supervisor: During the conversation, my supervisor told me the importance

of creativity in our lives as it is an essential trait that can lead to personal and professional

growth, innovation, and improved mental health. It is a skill that can be developed and

cultivated through practice and experimentation, and is increasingly important in today's fast-

paced and rapidly changing world.

Discussion with Friends:

My friends told me about creative learning as teaching that encourages young people to use

their imaginations and engage their natural curiosity, to see age-old problems in a new light,

to experiment and test ideas, to apply mixed mediums and interdisciplinary approaches, to

pursue their interests and strengths and to develop a life-long love of learning.’

Q.3

What did you find about the problem in the existing literature (books / articles /

websites)? (10 marks)

PISA (2012) defined problem-solving “an individual’s capacity to engage in cognitive

processing to understand and resolve problem situations where a method of solution is not

immediately obvious. It includes the willingness to engage with such situations in order to

achieve one’s potential as a constructive and reflective citizen”.

According to Wang & Chiew (2010) Problem-solving is an intellectual process of the brain,

which explores the explanation to a specified problem or discovers a technique to

comprehend the given goal. The brain uses the maximum cognitive functions like analytical

thinking, generalization, and synthesis in problem-solving, which involves features such as

the scientific way, critical thinking, decision-making, and reflective thinking

Problem-solving is the most important skill needed by today’s children everywhere, including

both in school and out of school learning and achievement. Recent research in problem-
solving suggests that educationalists, trainers and policymakers are reviewing curricula to

include incorporated learning environments which focus students to use analysis, evaluation,

synthesis etc. type skills, and especially, problem-solving skills as new learning theory has

evolved and professional standards have been changed which created demands of the new

workplace (Kirkley ,2003).

When the cognitive learning theories emerged, the meaning of problem-solving skill

changed. It became a complex mental activity comprising of a variety of cognitive skills and

activities. Problem-solving encompasses higher order thinking skills like "visualization,

association, abstraction, comprehension, manipulation, reasoning, analysis, synthesis,

generalization—each needing to be 'managed' and 'coordinated'" (Garofalo & Lester, 1985).

Problem-solving starts with identifying a problem state and forming an understanding of the

nature of that condition. It needs the children to recognize the specific problems to be solved,

design and execute a solution, and observe and assess progress throughout the activity.

Unlike a simple task, a problem is a non-routine state or condition for which no regular

solution approaches are easily available. Therefore, Problem-solving needs logical reasoning

to process certain information in a way that can be used to solve the problem effectively and

efficiently (Mayer & Wittrock, 2006).

It is specifically thought that creativity correlates positively with divergent thinking and

weakly or negatively with convergent thinking. The former allows tasks with multiple

solutions to be completed, and is characterized by high detonation, intuition, tolerance of

ambiguity, and low overvaluation, while the latter is found in the area of logical deduction,

and is defined by evaluation, reasoning, adaptation, and intolerance of ambiguity (Guilford,

1968).
Sternberg & Lubart (1995) proposed that personality, intelligence, knowledge, thinking

style, motivation, and environment are factors associated with creativity. While the first five

are individual factors corresponding to the creative person, we also need to consider given

characteristics such as age and gender, acquired characteristics such as education, and other

individual attributes such as attitude, affect, and emotional intelligence.

Creative learning in schools represents a specific form of learning that involves creative

expression in the context of academic learning. More specifically, creative learning involves

a “combination of intrapsychological and interpsychological process that results in new and

personally meaningful understandings for one and others” (Beghetto, 2023).

Whether creativity or creative learning is subject specific or more general is a particularly

important issue in schools. For much of the last fifty years in many schools creativity has

largely or exclusively been associated with the arts. But today the trend is towards a broader

conception of creativity and creative learning in schools. There are some perfectly reasonable

arguments for this situation including the intrinsic value of the arts, the potential for the

developing certain cognitive skills through arts education and the potential for the arts as

media for learning other subjects (Keith Sawyer, 2011).

In the classical sense and according to the Wikipedia definition the term “soft skills”

primarily refers to the first two categories of personal qualities and interpersonal skills

including language skills. “The Human Resources Glossary” even limits the definition of soft

skills to interpersonal skills. Soft skills refer to the cluster of personality traits, social graces,

facility with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to

varying degrees. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a

job (Tracey, 2004).

Q.4
What were the major variables / construct of your project? Give definitions /

description from literature. (05 marks)

Dependent Variable

Developing Problem-solving is dependent variable of my action research.

Independent Variable

Creative learning is an independent variable of my action research.

Problem-solving:

Problem-solving is an intellectual process of the brain, which explores the explanation to a

specified problem or discovers a technique to comprehend the given goal. Problem-solving is

the most important skill needed by today’s children everywhere, including both in school and

out of school learning and achievement.

Creative learning:

Creative learning in schools represents a specific form of learning that involves creative

expression in the context of academic learning. More specifically, creative learning involves

a “combination of intrapsychological and interpsychological process that results in new and

personally meaningful understandings for one and others”

Soft Skills:

Soft skills refer to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language,

personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to varying degrees. Soft skills

complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job

Q.5

What did you want to achieve in this research project?

Objective / purpose of the study:

 Objectives are more focused than problems. Following are

the main objectives of this Study;

 To develop problem solving through creative learning among grade 8th

 To understand basic problem solving techniques

 To explore advantages of creative learning

Research Questions:

 How problem solving can be developed through creative learning among grade 8th

Students?

 What are different techniques of problem solving?

 What are advantages of creative learning?

Q.6

Who were the participants in your project? (05 marks)

(Give details of the individuals or groups who were focused in this project e.g. the early-

grade students whose handwriting in Urdu was not good or the students of class VIII who

did not have good communication skills)

The participants of study were 8 th class students who were enrolled in FG Girls High Public

School, Peshawar. There were total 18 students in class 8 th. I Selected 12 students among

them for my research. Most of the participants were quite helpful and were matured enough

to understand the purpose of my research. There was a lack of confidence in them. Some

students were not behaving well. There were no posters in class for learning. Some students
had good communication skills. They were not interacting with other. Hand writing of some

students was very bad. Students were not interested in making groups.

Q.7 # How did you try to solve the problem? (10 marks)

When I started my research project, I observed grade 8 th students in start of my

observations. I noticed that most of the students were not looking motivated in class. There

was a lack of positive attitude in them. There was lack of confidence and motivation in

students as they remain quite in class. They were not interested in any activities in class. They

were not participating in group discussion and games. Some students were not thinking

critically and not ready to solve problems. There was a lack of positive attitude in them. They

were not interested to learn about disciplines. Some students were not punctual in class.

There academic performance was average. I judged the problem and made observations

sheets, evaluation sheet.

Research Design: -
I used an action research due to the following reasons:
 To identify a problem
 To collect data
 To organize data
 To interpret data

I prepared detail notes on problem solving and decided to do it through action research.

Location of the study: -

The research was conducted at FG Girls High Public School, Peshawar .

Targeted population: -
The population from which a sample was selected was composed of secondary school. Total
numbers of students in the class were 18, whose academic year was 2023.

Sampling Technique: -
The sample was selected through a simple random sampling technique from a list of FG Girls

High Public School, Peshawar.

Tool of research: -
I used observation and check list as research instruments for my project.

Data Collection Produce: -

After seeking permission from head of school, I went to 8 th grade students and I shared

objectives with them. I tried to develop positive attitude and good behavior in some student. I

made check list after observation in class students gave me good response and also helped me

in my action research. I perfumed different activities in class to check behavior of some

students. Data was tabulated first data that collected from observation and check list in the

form of quantities data. Findings and conclusion were drawn later.

Q.8

What kind of instrument was used to collect the data? How was the instrument

developed? (05 marks)

Research Instrument:

Research instrument is a tool used to collect, measure and analyses data related to our
subject. Research instruments can be observations, rating scale, interviews, student work,
checklist and portfolio, etc.
Observation

In an observational study, researchers study how participants perform certain behaviors or

activities without telling them what methods or behaviors to choose.

Check list

A checklist is a tool for identifying the presence or absence of conceptual knowledge,

skills or behaviors. It used checklist for identifying whether key tasks in a process or

activity have been completed. To gain research objectives I used checklist as research

instrument. I chose this instrument because it is the best tool to my observation topic. I

used it to gain valid data.

Development process

According to my objectives, I selected observation and check

list as it was the best option of this study, which was selected after details discussion with

Educationist and supervisor.

Observation as Check list: 1. Yes 2. No

Name: Father Name:

Class: Roll No:

Gender: School Name:

Q.9
What were the findings and conclusion? (Provide instruments and analysis as appendix)

(10 marks)

There were 18 students in 8 th class. By using simple random sampling technique, I chose 12

students as a sample size. The observation checklist is given below.

Appendix

Sr. No Observations YES NO

1 Hands-on Learning 

2 Critical Thinking 

3 Focus on problems 

4 Analyze situation 

5 Stay calm 

6 Gather information 

7 Collaboration 

8 Team Work 

9 Solve problems 

10 Generate ideas 

11 Communication Skills 

The major findings of this study

Finding

1. I found that 80% of the students were engaging in practical, experiential learning that
deepens their understanding of concepts and enhances their problem-solving skills.

2. I found that 76% of the students were thinking critically thinking and make good
decisions.
 3. I found that 78% of the students were collecting relevant data, facts and information
about the problem

4. I found that 72% of the students were showing collaboration skills due to working on
projects.

5. I found that 81% of the students were working in teams.

6. I found that 75% of the students were looking interested to solve problems.

7. I found that 62% of the students were genetating new ideas and experiences.

8. I found that 65% of the students were showing good communication skills.

Conclusion:

I concluded that creative learning is effective in developing problem solving skills

among 8th class as it helped students to improve their critical thinking. There was

much improvement in student’s communication skills. They showed positive attitude.

Their collaboration and teamwork skills enhanced. They were interested to solve

problems. They were looking motivated when they were gathering information. .

After implementation, their ideas and experiences improved and were better

Q.10

Summary of the Project (05 marks)

The research was conducted at FG Girls High Public School, Peshawar. I selected 8th grade

students. Following are the main objectives of this study;

 To develop problem solving through creative learning among grade 8th

 To understand basic problem solving techniques

 To explore advantages of creative learning

Process of data collection

I made details notes on student’s behavior and their performance. To draw possible

conclusions, observations were required. All information was collected through behavior of

students in class. I used checklist as a research instrument after observation as it is the best

tool for my objectives.

Findings

Findings indicated that I concluded that creative learning is effective in developing

problem solving skills among 8th class as it helped students to improve their critical

thinking. There was much improvement in student’s communication skills. They

showed positive attitude. Their collaboration and teamwork skills enhanced. They

were interested to solve problems.. They were looking motivated when they were

gathering information. . After implementation, their ideas and experiences improved

and were better

Q.11

How do you feel about this practice? What have you learnt? (Self-reflection) (10 marks)
In the earlier I was bit confused when I went to home for research. I was hesitated to start my

work in the home but when I arranged meeting with home staff then suddenly this hesitation

went away. The staff of the home told me that we will help you and guide you whenever you

need. After meeting with home staff and their positive response I was satisfied and ready to

do it. After this practice I feel that it was great experience of my life because I experienced a

lot of new things. I am feeling very satisfied and glad after my research. It was quite

interesting and Conflict parents experience. Now I am confident after this research. Now I am

able to do these all sorts of such tasks.im feeling myself as confident, glad and learnt person.

I learnt a lot of new things which I never learnt in my previous life. For example, when I

talked with senior parents and expert people I learnt a lot of skills of writing. When I taught

the students then I counsel dictionary and great writers, businessmen and novels. These all

things increased my Conflict parents also showed them video lesson of some expert and

creative writers to teach them. It also helped me to learn new things. This practice also

improved my writing skills too. I also learnt how to write effectively and accurately I have

improved my English grimmer. My vocabulary has been improved. I learnt new methods of

improving writing. I learnt how to write stories in appropriate way. Overall it helped me to

develop new writing skills, new way of teaching writing skills. So I am glad to say that it was

unforgettable experience of my life. First of all, most of us numb the uncomfortable

emotions, but unknowingly when we do this research we can also end up numbing our other

emotions like joy, peace, happiness, and pleasure. We can’t fully have one without the other.

The first step is always awareness, because once we have awareness we can start to do

something about it. Awareness alone won’t help us stop using Conflict parents. Awareness

after the fact is what I’m talking about here. Starting anything new and trying to create a

habit out of it takes work and time. This is one of the reasons I love researching and attending

classes as it’s basically a scheduled time in the day, where I have no other distractions, to just
be in my routine and notice how I’m feeling. That being said I rarely make it to a class once a

week these days, so I do have to find simple and quick ways to connect. Since mindfulness is

about being present in the moment and noticing all the sensations and emotions in your mind

and life, one thing you can do is ask yourself where in your mind you feel your emotions.

Q.12

What has it added to your professional skills as a teacher? (05 marks)

While teaching can certainly be a challenge, it is also one of the most rewarding careers out

there. Check out some of the useful skills for parents to see if there are any areas you need to

work on before you become one:

1. Whether I teach high home subject or kindergarten, nothing is a more effective tool

than using my imagination to create new and interesting ways for my students to

learn. I may be inspired by the work of other parents, mentor or a TV commercial - it

doesn't matter. All that matters is that I take the initiative to find new ways for my

kids to learn the material.

2. Parents could have a hard time without a wide variety of support staff around them. If

I feel alone, y home principal, administrative staff, parent-parent’s committee, and

more are often available to provide me to help. By working as a team, I have an easier

time increasing my students' ability to learn and have fun.

3. Sometimes to get the big reward, I need to take a risk. Being parents is about finding a

way to get kids to learn, and sometimes these new methods can be risky. Stick to it

and I'll soon find that others are following my teaching example.

4. I can never know too much when I am a parent, especially when it comes to the best

way to teach my students. Great parents are constantly looking for ways to expand
 their horizons with courses, workshops, and seminars. Make sure you I don't become

stagnant by taking courses to keep the content fresh in your mind.

5. No parents will succeed if they don't have good communication skills. Clear, concise,

and to the point - the better your communication skills are, the easier our lessons will

be. There are many different types of classes available to help some parents who may

need help improving their skills.

6. Every parents needs to have confidence, not only in themselves but in their students

and their colleagues. A confident person inspires others to be confident, and a parent’s

confidence can help influence others to be a better person.

7. Modern parents know how to find engaging resources. In this digital age, it is

essential to find materials and resources for students that will keep them interested.

This means keeping up to date on new technologies and apps, and browsing the web

and connecting to fellow parents. Anyway that I can engage students and keep things

interesting is a must.

Q.13

List the works you cited in your project (follow the APA manual – 6th Edition). (05

marks)

1. Beghetto, R. A. (2023). Engaging uncertainty: Principles and provocations for

promoting creative learning futures. In Creative Provocations: Speculations on the

Future of Creativity, Technology & Learning (pp. 195-212). Cham: Springer

International Publishing.
2. Garofalo, J., & Lester, F. K. (1985). Metacognition, cognitive monitoring, and

mathematical performance. Journal for research in mathematics education, 16(3), 163-

176.

3. Guilford, J. P. (1968). Intelligence, creativity and their educational implications:

Beyond similarity. Psychological Review, 97, 3-18.

4. K. Duncker, (1945) on problem solving. Psychological Monographs, (58) American

Psychological Association

5. Kirkley, J. (2003). Principles for teaching problem solving. Technical Paper, Plato

Learning Inc.

6. Mayer, R. C., & Wittrock, R. (2006). Problem Solving in PA Alexandria and PH

Winn Ed Handbook of Educational Psychology.

7. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2014). PISA

2012 results: Creative problem solving: Students’ skills in tackling real-life problems

(Volume V).

8. Reisberg, D. (Ed.). (2013). The Oxford handbook of cognitive psychology. OUP

USA.

9. Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity

research journal, 24(1), 92-96

.
10. Sawyer, K. (2011). The cognitive neuroscience of creativity: A critical review

Creativity research journal, 23(2), 137-154.

11. Sternberg, R., & Lubart, T. (1995). Defying the Crowd; Cultivating Creativity in a

Culture of Conformity. New York: Free Press

12. Tracey, W.R. The Human Resources Glossary. USA: CRC Press, 2004.
13. Wang, Y., & Chiew, V. (2010). On the cognitive process of human problem solving.

Cognitive systems research, 11(1), 81-92.