Effect of systematic physics problem-solving strategy on secondary school students’ learning achievement

Abstract Physics education plays a crucial role in preparing students for success by equipping them with essential problem-solving skills. This study intended to investigate the effects of systematic physics problem-solving (SPPS) on secondary school students’ learning achievement. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design. The study participants involved 116 senior five students selected purposively from four schools within Kamonyi and Nyarugenge districts, Rwanda. Thus, 61 students formed a control group, and 55 students formed an experimental group. An experimental group was taught electricity concepts using a SPPS strategy through Heller and Heller’s five problem-solving steps. Both groups were given a pre and post-test. Thus, a Kirchoff’s Achievement Test was used to examine students’ physics performance and problem-solving abilities. Statistical package for social sciences 27.0 was used to analyse data. The findings from the study highlight the improved student performance through the implementation of SPPS. The provided intervention led to a noticeable gain in students’ problem-solving abilities and overall test scores. A noticeable correlation was found between students’ Problem-Solving Ability (PSA) and performance. The question-per-question analysis showed that student performance was effectively improved in all four administered questions after the intervention. Heller and Heller’s five steps of solving a problem showed an overall improvement with a significant impact on planning and executing the solution steps. This study recommends developing and adopting these strategies to foster better problem-solving skills among students.