How creative self-efficacy influences problem-solving skills in engineering education: the dual mediating role of...

Problem-solving skills are a core competency for engineering students, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying their development remain poorly understood. Creative self-efficacy has been identified as a potential motivational driver of problem-solving skills, but the pathways through which it functions have received limited empirical investigation. This study examines the direct relationship between creative self-efficacy and problem-solving skills and explores the dual mediating roles of critical thinking and metacognition in this relationship.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of undergraduate engineering students (N = 711). Validated self-report scales were used to assess creative self-efficacy, critical thinking, metacognition, and problem-solving skills. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed dual mediation model.

Creative self-efficacy was found to have a statistically significant direct effect on problem-solving skills (p < 0.01), although the effect size was weak (f² = 0.031). In contrast, creative self-efficacy had strong effects on both critical thinking (p < 0.001, f² = 0.690) and metacognition (p < 0.001, f² = 0.676). Both critical thinking (p < 0.01) and metacognition (p < 0.001) significantly mediated the relationship between creative self-efficacy and problem-solving skills, though their direct effects on problem-solving were modest (f² = 0.035 and f² = 0.129, respectively).

The findings demonstrate that creative self-efficacy primarily enhances problem-solving skills through its positive effects on critical thinking and metacognition. These results highlight the need for engineering education to strengthen students' critical thinking and metacognition while fostering their confidence in their problem-solving. These insights offer both theoretical and practical guidance for designing targeted interventions to enhance students' problem-solving skills.