Studying the student's perceptions of engagement and problem-solving skills for academic achievement in chemistry at the higher secondary level

Student engagement has emerged as a crucial factor in higher education, playing a vital role in shaping the overall quality of learning outcomes. It refers to the active involvement and participation of students in specific activities that research has consistently linked to improved academic achievements. The pervasiveness of the term 'student engagement' has significantly shaped the higher education landscape, reinforcing its importance in fostering effective learning environments. In the realm of higher education, educators are continuously exploring diverse pedagogical approaches to enhance student engagement through active learning. This study focuses on the problem-solving learning model and its implementation to foster a deeper understanding of student engagement, including their positive behaviour, participation in activities, and cognitive capabilities. In this study, a quasi-experimental design was employed, incorporating pre-test, post-test, and non-equivalent control group elements. This specific design was chosen due to the constraints of randomly assigning students to groups. Instead, intact classes were randomly selected and assigned to either the control or experimental groups. The sample study was 476 higher secondary-level chemistry students collected from different higher secondary schools. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select schools from the target population. Initially, schools were selected using a purposive sampling technique, focusing on those with fully equipped chemistry laboratories and qualified chemistry teachers. Additionally, consideration was given to including both female and male students in co-educational chemistry classes, as gender was considered a relevant variable for the study. This study adopts a quasi-experimental design, utilizing an achievement and retention test in chemistry as its primary instrument. The validity of this instrument was ensured through face validation by three expert evaluators. To eliminate the errors of non-equivalence arising from the non-randomization of the research subjects, the analysis of covariance (ANOVA) was used in analysing the data and to remove the error of initial differences in ability levels among the research subjects. The findings of the study demonstrated that students in the experimental group experienced a notable increase in problem-solving success compared to their counterparts in the control group, a difference that became evident right from the first intervention. This study establishes a positive correlation between student engagement and their learning outcomes, indicating that higher engagement leads to better academic performance. Additionally, it observes that the correlation between boys' and girls' problem-solving skills and their learning outcomes is comparatively weaker, suggesting potential variations in how problem-solving abilities impact academic achievement among genders. It also reveals that there is a positive influence on student engagement and problem-solving skills in students' academic achievement. Despite the challenges encountered, the results demonstrated the vital role of the problem-solving learning model, when coupled with student engagement, in fostering students' critical thinking skills concerning reaction rate material. These instructional practices were observed to foster higher levels of student engagement, ultimately resulting in enhanced academic achievement among students.