The Impact of Undergraduate Students’ Thinking Styles on Problem-Solving Skills

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the thinking styles of university students are and the effect of thinking styles on their problem-solving skills. The research used the correlational survey model because the relationship between the "thinking styles" and "problem solving skills" were examined. The sample of the research consisted of 566 undergraduate students. Personal information form, Thinking Styles Scale and Problem-Solving Inventory are used for data collection. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, t-test, Anova and Pearson correlation, regression analysis have been utilized in data analysis. The level of students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills has been observed to be at a moderate level. There is a significant difference between students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills in terms of gender. The students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills do not show a significant difference in terms of class level. There is no significant difference in the relationship between students' thinking styles and problem-solving skills in terms of age variable. There exists a significant correlation between students' thinking styles and their problem-solving abilities. Students' thinking styles have a significant effect on their problem-solving skills. This study makes an important contribution to understand the thinking styles and problem-solving skills of university students and to examine the relationships in these fields. The results show that educators and guidance professionals should support students' problem-solving skills by taking into account their thinking styles.