The Role of Scientific, Critical, and Creative Thinking Skills in Equipping Students with Problem-Solving Skills: A Field Study among a Sample of Sultan Qaboos University Students

The ability to think scientifically, critically, and creatively is essential for students to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The current study sought to assess the sources and level of acquisition of scientific, critical, and creative thinking skills by Sultan Qaboos University students, and to determine the impact of these skills on their problem- solving abilities. The study random sample consisted of 384 male and female students selected from all colleges of Sultan Qaboos University. Study data was collected automatically via an electronic platform specifically developed for the study. Descriptive and correlational analyses were used to assess skill levels, and linear regression measured their effect on problem-solving. The Findings revealed that students possessed high levels of all three thinking skills. Curricula were found to be the most influential source for students’ acquisition of scientific and critical thinking skills. Regarding creative thinking skills, free reading was the most influential source, achieving the highest mean of 5.41 (90.2%). Significant positive correlations were found between all thinking skills and problem-solving, with creative thinking showing the strongest correlation (r = 0.821). Regression analysis confirmed that creative thinking had the greatest impact on problem-solving, followed by critical and scientific thinking. The study recommends enhancing students’ ability to connect theory with practice, fostering innovation and non-traditional thinking, and encouraging the use of technology in problem-solving.