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S2.9.6 Creative Problem Solvers Today – Innovative Leaders Tomorrow!
The world depends on sophisticated thinkers who not only care about pressing problems that affect our planet, but those who know how to apply thinking skills to bring about real and positive change. The 21st Century requires powerful and innovative global leaders who must possess effective problem-solving skills. Gifted students do not automatically develop into leaders or problem solvers, rather they must be provided appropriate tools to acquire behaviors needed for this enormous task/responsibility. The Partnership for 21st Century Learning, established as a cohort of education, business, and government working together, identified the 4-Cs: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking – all of which are addressed within Creative Problem Solving (CPS). Teachers must be well informed in CPS in order to provide the essential skills required to form future leaders who will make a positive difference in the world.
Developed by Dr. E. Paul Torrance, FPS provides the framework of real change around the world. Using a streamlined activity, audience members will be introduced to a 6-step CPS process, infusing idea generating and focusing tools that can easily be incorporated into any curriculum. The 4Cs will all be addressed, highlighting our responsibility to provide practice in these critical skills, no matter the subject being taught.
A research study will be presented that incorporates the 4Cs. Students in grades 9-12 (n = 75) from one suburban school participated in the Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI). Half of the FPSPI students completed training in problem solving styles and the other half did not. An ANCOVA was used to compare the mean scores of the Qualifying Problem (QP) between the treatment and comparison groups.
Results showed that the treatment group outperformed the comparison group (p = .008). Eight out of nine of the teams (89%) in the treatment group qualified for the state competition, while four out of twelve (33%) of the comparison groups qualified. Interview data were used to examine perceptions of the CPS process of both groups of students.
Problem-solving styles are consistent individual differences in the ways people prefer to plan and carry out complex tasks. Students who engaged in activities related to problem solving styles appeared to have better understanding of their problem-solving skills than those who participated only in the FPSPI program. CPS and the related thinking tools provided the structure and means of enabling students to tackle and solve major issues, while encouraging life-long behaviors.