Effectiveness of a Creative Problem-Solving Skills Training Package on Self-Efficacy and Personal Growth Initiative in Students
Keywords:
Creative problem-solving skills training, personal growth initiative, self-efficacy, adolescents.Abstract
Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the effectiveness of a creative problem-solving skills training package on self-efficacy and personal growth initiative among first-cycle secondary school students in the city of Shiraz.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up phases, including an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population consisted of female students enrolled in public schools in Shiraz during the 2024–2025 academic year. Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 44 students were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group and a control group (22 participants in each group). The research instruments included the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Morris, 2001) and the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (Robitschek, 1998). The experimental group received the creative problem-solving skills training package over eight 45-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed at the descriptive level (mean and standard deviation) and at the inferential level (mixed repeated-measures analysis of variance) using SPSS version 26.
Findings: The results indicated that the creative problem-solving skills training package had a statistically significant effect on increasing self-efficacy and personal growth initiative (p < .05). The one-month follow-up demonstrated that the improvements in self-efficacy and personal growth initiative remained stable in the experimental group, whereas in the control group, no statistically significant differences were observed between the pre-test and follow-up stages for either variable.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that the creative problem-solving skills training package can effectively enhance self-efficacy and personal growth initiative among first-cycle secondary school students. These results have practical implications for educational and counseling programs aimed at promoting students’ cognitive, social, and emotional competencies.
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References
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