RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AND ACADEMIC DECISION-MAKING AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Problem-solving skills enable students to analyze complex situations, identify solutions, and apply critical thinking to achieve desired outcomes. Academic decision-making refers to students’ ability to make informed, strategic choices regarding their learning processes, course selections, and educational goals. The objectives of the study were a) to find the level of problem-solving skills and academic decision-making at university level, b) to assess the relationship between problem-solving skills and academic decision-making at university level, c) to explore the effect of problem-solving skills on academic decision-making at university level. The population for the study included all public and private universities in the Lahore district. The sample was selected from the population using a multistage sampling method. The instrument of the study were questionnaires.  For data analysis, SPSS was employed, using both descriptive statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation) and inferential statistics, including linear regression, Kendall’s tau-b, and Spearman’s rho. The findings of the study revealed that Problem-solving skills have a statistically significant positive effect on students’ academic decision-making, explaining 21.8% of the variance (R² = 0.218, F(1, 598) = 166.780, p < .001), indicating that students with stronger problem-solving abilities are more likely to make effective academic decisions. There is a positive and significant relationship between problem-solving skills and academic decision-making, with Kendall’s tau-b showing a moderate correlation (τ = .323, p < .001) and Spearman’s rho indicating a moderately stronger correlation (ρ = .446, p < .001), suggesting that higher problem-solving competence is associated with better academic decision-making among university students. It is recommended that Universities should integrate structured problem-solving training and activities into their curricula to enhance students’ analytical and strategic thinking abilities, thereby improving their academic decision-making skills and overall academic performance.