Validating Problem Solving Competency Instrument in the New General Education Curriculum: A Case of Vietnam

Abstract

Problem solving is a crucial skill for students who experience learning and living in the 21st century. To enhance this skill, students need to face a situation setting problem, then students solve the problem. The 2018 general education curriculum has been developed according to the competency approach. As a result, the instructions and assessment system need to be adapted to align with requirements in the new curriculum. The purpose of present study is to develop and validate the problem solving competency (PSC) instrument based on general requirements of this competency in the general education curriculum in Vietnam. The results of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) show that the instruments can be divided into three different components with good factor loadings to measure problem solving competency of Vietnamese students. The instrument is reliable and valid. Reliability analysis using Cronbach’s alpha revealed satisfactory internal consistency for each factor, with values ranging from .670 to .812.