Convergent Thinking and Academic Achievement in Mathematics: An Empirical Evidence from Higher Secondary students

Abstract

This study investigated how higher secondary students' academic achievement in mathematics and convergent thinking relate to one another. A sample of 100 higher secondary students were assessed using standardized tests to measure convergent thinking developed by the investigator and the students' scores on the HSSLC exam were used to measure their academic achievement in mathematics. From results of the study no significant difference between male and female students in regard to convergent thinking was found. Moreover, the calculated value of r is 0.43 which is more than tabulated value i.e. .195 at 0.05 level of significance so the study revealed a significant positive correlation between convergent thinking and academic success in mathematics. The findings suggest that students with higher levels of convergent thinking tend to perform better academically. The study emphasizes the importance of fostering convergent thinking skills in educational settings, highlighting its potential to enhance academic outcomes especially in mathematics. Thus, the study has implications for curriculum development and incorporating new instructional strategies for enhancing convergent thinking as well as academic outcomes in mathematics.