The Development of Students’ Collaborative Problem Solving Competency: A Survey Research

Abstract

Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) competency refers to the ability to collaborate with others by sharing knowledge, skills, and effort to solve a problem. CPS competency assesses students’ ability to solve problems through communication and collaboration, focusing on three competencies; (1) establishing and maintaining shared understanding, (2) taking appropriate action to solve the problem, and (3) establishing and maintaining group organization. This study aims to explore the collaborative problem-solving competency of 43 students using the PISA 2015 online assessment, which consists of 12 questions with a total score of 24 points. The statistics were used to analyze quantitative data using percentages and averages. The researcher analyzed students’ scores using the PISA 2015 criteria, classifying the results into three levels: high, moderate, and low level. The students achieved an average CPS score of 16.07, which represents 66.96%, indicating a moderate level of competency. Moreover, an analysis of sub-competencies revealed that students excelled in establishing and maintaining shared understanding, with an average score of 73.55%, indicating a high level of competency. However, their competency in taking appropriate action to solve problems (65.70%) and in establishing and maintaining group organization (61.63%) was at a moderate level. In summary, the researcher recognizes that students’ collaborative problem solving competency can be developed and that students should be provided with opportunities to enhance their collaborative problem solving skills to reach a high level.