Students normally face problems that vary from poor grades, difficulty in networking or socialising, managing finances, staying healthy among others. Education experts believe that when students are faced with such difficulties, it only becomes easier for them to overcome only if they know how to go about it. Apart from boosting independence, experts also believe that these skills improve students’ learning in general. Students with problem-solving skills perform well in academics. File. John Nzayisenga, the director of Good Harvest School in Kigali, says the skills are not only vital for students while at school but are helpful out of the school environment as well. With this, he says that problem-solving skills are needed in many workplaces because employers rely on their employees to identify and figure out ways of dealing with any issues related to their scope of work. He, however, says for students to be effective at problem-solving, they need to also have other key skills which include creativity among others. He also says that learners need to be able to identify and apply different strategies to solve the problems they encounter on a daily basis whether at school or in their communities. “This happens only if learners are taught in a way that they can understand what they are required of. When students are taught on how to go about some issues, it helps them be able to solve their own problems, and this will eventually assist them to build self-relaint, as well as boost their self-esteem and confidence; this is all vital when it comes to learning,” he says. Nzayisenga says when these skills build confidence for the students, in the long run it improves the way they interact and socialise with teachers, parents and their fellow students. Prudence Kayitesi, a teacher at Little Angels Academy in Kigali, says these skills should be taught to all students regardless of their age and the level they are in. She notes that this will help them develop a dynamic personality and a smart mind as well. “When a child knows how to solve their own problems, they can do better in the classroom especially when it comes to scoring better grades,” she says. Kayitesi adds that when students have problem-solving skills, it’s easier for them to live peacefully with others, and they can as well find ways of attending to issues that seem to hinder other people in their communities. How can the skills be instilled? Although problem-solving as a skill can be difficult to teach students, Patricia Uwamahoro, an English teacher at mother Mary complex school says as a teacher, it’s important to teach students by example. This she says can be done by practising patience and persistence. “Also, using real-life examples is important because it helps students understand it better and also give them an idea on how to go about it,” she says. She further notes that for any learner to solve the problem at hand, they need to understand the end goal. Uwamahoro says this step (understanding the goal) is crucial to successful learning as far as problem-solving is concerned. He says that a teacher should help learners for example answer questions such as what, why and also find the answer to how which will make their understanding easier. Apart from that Aminadhad Niyonshuti, a teacher at Apaper Complex School in Kicukiro says because instilling such skills in learners is not easy, it’s important for teachers to create time for this. This, he says can be done through asking students questions and also come up with suggestions. He says students should be asked to predict what would happen if something happens, or even explain why such things happened. “This kind of questions will help them develop analytical and thinking skills, it also helps them as well reflect on the problem-solving strategies that they will be using in their daily lives,” he says. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
