Enhancing Innovative Thinking among Thai Pre Service Teachers Through an Integrated Challenge-Based and Service-Learning Instructional Model

Teaching in Thailand traditionally relied heavily on lectures, memorization, and examinations, leaving limited opportunities for the development of the innovative thinking expected of pre-service teachers. Challenge-based learning (CBL) identifies what is worth solving, whereas service learning (SL) determines for whom and how it should be addressed. This study developed an instructional model that integrates these two concepts and examined its effectiveness. In the model, each challenge begins with needs identified by the community itself. Phase 1 focused on developing the model, while Phase 2 examined its effectiveness with 50 purposively selected first-year students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma Program in Teaching Profession, using a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design over 60 instructional hours. Two parallel situational open-ended tests, a five-level analytic rubric, and an observation record form were used to collect data, which were analysed using descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test. The resulting model comprises four components, namely objectives, principles, six instructional steps, and measurement and evaluation, with each instructional step beginning with a challenge identified in collaboration with the community. Five experts rated the model at the highest level (M = 4.66). Overall innovative thinking increased from 7.67 to 15.47 out of 20 points (p < .001, d = 3.69), with improvements observed across all four components of innovative thinking.