The Impact of Physics Education on High School Students Problem-solving Skills: A Case Study from Sheberghan City, Afghanistan

Abstract

This study employs a mixed-methods research design involving 200 randomly selected secondary school students in Sheberghan to explore the impact of physics education on the development of problem-solving skills. Problem-solving is a fundamental competency in both academic and real-world contexts, and this research aims to evaluate how targeted physics instruction can enhance this essential skill set. The quantitative phase involved administering pre- and post-instruction surveys and standardized assessments to measure changes in students' problem-solving abilities. The qualitative phase, which complemented the quantitative data, included in-depth interviews and classroom observations to gain deeper insights into students’ and teachers’ perspectives. The findings revealed that instructional strategies—particularly hands-on experiments and collaborative learning activities—led to significant improvements in students' problem-solving performance. For instance, the average test scores increased from 66 to 75 following the intervention. Despite these overall gains, some students continued to struggle with complex problem-solving tasks, highlighting the need for differentiated instructional support. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of innovative and interactive teaching approaches in physics education and recommends their systematic integration into school curricula to enhance student learning outcomes.