The Influence of Home Environment on Problem-Solving Ability among Adolescent Students

Abstract

This research aims to examine, the influence of home environment on problem-solving ability among adolescent students. The sample of the research consisted of 576 adolescent students from class IX to XII (aged between 14 to 18) randomly selected from government, government-aided and private secondary schools from different blocks of Almora district, Kumaun region, Uttarakhand. In order to evaluate the problem-solving ability and home environment of the participants, the 'Problem-Solving Ability Test (PSAT-D)' constructed and standardized by Dubey & Mathur (2006) and the 'Home Environment Scale' constructed and standardized by Akhtar & Saxena (2011) were administered. Data was analyzed by calculating mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc comparisons using Bonferroni-correction in SPSS. The one-way ANOVA results, showed a statistically significant difference in problem-solving ability among adolescent students from different home environments at the significance level of 0.05, F(2, 573) = 8.68, p = 0.00019, with a small effect size (η² = 0.029). The post-hoc comparisons revealed significant differences in problem-solving ability among adolescent students belonging to 'favourable' 'moderately favourable' and 'unfavourable' home environments. In conclusion, this study highlights the role that home environment plays in shaping the cognitive abilities of students, particularly their problem-solving skills. The findings emphasized the need for creating supportive and positive home environments in cognitive development. It is recommended that parents foster supportive, communicative, and structured home settings, and that schools and policymakers implement parent education and guidance programs to strengthen adolescents’ problem-solving skills and overall development.