Contributions of tertiary students’ background factors, learning strategies, behavioural engagement, and cognitive skills to problem solving in technology-rich environments: Evidence from 24 countries

Abstract

The current study investigated the contributions of background factors (i.e., gender, age, and parents’ education), learning strategies, behavioural engagement in different domains (i.e., reading, writing, numeracy, and ICT), and cognitive skills (i.e., literacy and numeracy) to problem solving in technology-rich environments among tertiary students across 24 countries. The sample for this study comprised 12,148 tertiary students (Mage = 25.68 years, 55% female). The results indicated that younger students exhibited better performance in problem solving within technology-rich environments. Furthermore, students whose parents had higher levels of education were more likely to demonstrate higher levels of problem-solving proficiency. Students who employed more effective learning strategies tended to have higher levels of problem-solving abilities. Higher levels of literacy and numeracy performance were associated with better problem-solving performance. Moreover, the study revealed a positive relationship between parents' education at the country level and students' problem-solving performance. This study further explored the similarities and differences in predicting the study variables related to problem solving. The implications of the study's findings were discussed in relation to learning, teaching, and policymaking in higher education. These findings can inform educational practices and policies to enhance problem-solving skills among tertiary students, ultimately improving their preparedness for technology-rich environments.