Effects of Design Thinking on Learners' Motivation at Higher Education Level

This study aimed to examine the effects of design thinking on learners’ motivation, with respect to their effective engagement and problem-solving capability. A pre-designed questionnaire having pre-selected constructs and items was used to collect data from the targeted learners currently enrolled in the institutes offering educational programs in Karachi to measure the selected variables. The findings revealed the impact of design thinking on learners’ motivation towards learning to be insignificant. Similarly, the indirect impact of design thinking on learners’ motivation, with the mediating role of effective engagement and problem-solving capability of learners, was also found to be insignificant. However, the impact of design thinking on the effective engagement and problem-solving capability of the learners was found to be significant. The study recommends awareness sessions for pre-service teachers to integrate design thinking in their teaching methods. It also recommends integrated curricula and workshops, and training sessions organisation to foster a growth mindset of future teachers for integrating the design thinking into their teaching methods. It also recommends that teachers use project-based learning in their classrooms to engage their students in real-world projects that require design thinking.