Rural School Students Research Articles

Mathematical Literacy Skills for Elementary School Students: A Comparative Study Between Interactive STEM Learning and Paper-and-Pencil STEM Learning

<p style="text-align:justify">This study aimed to compare and examine the effectiveness of interactive STEM learning and paper-and-pencil STEM learning in terms of mathematical literacy skills of elementary school students. This research is of a quasi-experimental type with a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design. Sampling was carried out on the elementary school populations in Bengkulu and South Sumatra Provinces in two stages. In the first stage, schools in rural and urban areas were selected, and in the second, classes in each school were randomly selected. The selected sample consisted of fifth-grade students of the Public Elementary School of Terawas, Musi Rawas, with an experimental class A (n = 20) and an experimental class B (n = 19), as well as fifth-grade students of the Public Elementary School of Bengkulu City, with an experimental class A (n = 25) and an experimental class B (n = 22). Data collection was conducted using mathematical literacy skills tests in reference to the PISA and Minimum Competency Assessment (level 1–3). Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics; it employed an independent t-test for the comparative testing and an N-gain test for testing the effectiveness of STEM learning. The results showed that there were differences in math literacy skills between interactive STEM and paper-and-pencil STEM for students in urban schools, but not significantly different for students in rural schools. General STEM learning was effective in increasing the literacy of elementary school students, and interactive STEM in particular demonstrated the highest level of effectiveness in the urban school.</p>

Social bonds, Internet usage time and bullying involvement: A study of rural secondary school students in China

AbstractSchool bullying is a prevalent problem affecting adolescents globally, which has been linked to the qualities of social bonds. In addition to the conventional environments such as families, peers and schools, the Internet is notably rising as a new living space for young students. Given that rural China has witnessed outstanding phenomena of bullying and Internet use among adolescents, the present study particularly examined how parental attachment, peer attachment, school connectedness and Internet usage time were associated with their experiences of being a bully, victim or bully victim, based on a sample of 2211 students from 25 rural secondary schools across three provinces of China. Results showed that those reporting bullying, victimization and both accounted for 30.0%, 64.6% and 26.2% of the whole sample, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses further revealed that maternal attachment, peer attachment and school connectedness were negatively associated with the odds of bullying involvement, whereas Internet usage time was positively associated with the odds of bullying involvement. The findings suggest the significance of building a comprehensive system for preventing school bullying in rural China, with a particular emphasis on strengthening family–school collaboration and effective guidance of Internet use.

Effect of Kolawole Problem Solving Method On Students’ Attitude Towards Biology in Secondary Schools in Ondo State, Nigeria

This study investigates the impact of the Kolawole Problem Solving (KPS) method on students' attitudes towards Biology in secondary schools in Ondo State, Nigeria. The study addresses three specific objectives: (i) examining the difference in attitudinal mean scores between students exposed to KPS and those using conventional methods in Biology, (ii) analyzing gender-based variations among students using the KPS method, and (iii) evaluating differences in attitudinal mean scores between students in rural and urban schools using the KPS strategy. A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, control group structure was employed, involving an experimental group using the KPS technique and a control group using traditional methods. The study's population comprised Senior Secondary School Two (SSS II) students enrolled in Biology courses at public secondary schools in Ondo State. The sample included 139 SSS II students from six public schools, selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using the Students' Attitude Towards Biology Scale (SATBS). The results revealed a significant difference in attitudinal mean scores between students exposed to KPS and those using conventional methods, with the KPS group exhibiting a more positive attitude toward Biology. However, no significant gender-based differences were observed among students using the KPS method, and there were no significant variations in attitudinal mean scores based on geographical location. In conclusion, the implementation of the Kolawole Problem Solving approach positively influenced students' attitudes toward Biology, without gender bias and regardless of location. This suggests the potential benefits of incorporating the KPS method into Biology curricula and providing comprehensive teacher training to effectively utilize this approach.

Predictors of homesick disposition in Australian rural secondary school students transitioning to university

ABSTRACT Homesick disposition, an individual’s expectation about becoming homesick in the future, has been identified as an important predictor of homesickness. Homesick disposition can be detected and measured even before the separation from home has taken place, making it particularly relevant to understanding feelings and perceptions of rural school students who have yet to relocate and transition to university. A timely detection of homesickness may facilitate prevention strategies for students to feel more confident about going to university. Based on the theory of homesickness , this study uses a quantitative approach with a sample of 620 Australian rural students to examine the relationship between homesick disposition and some factors that have been discussed as its likely predictors in rural students, such as perceptions of control over the decision of transitioning to university, the levels of information managed about university, and the support students perceive they have from their social capital. Results show that rural students’ levels of perceptions of control and social capital are important predictors of homesick disposition.

Australian rural medical students' perceived readiness for work as a junior doctor: A cross-sectional national survey.

To report self-perceived readiness for work as a junior doctor in a national cohort of rural clinical school students. Cross-sectional study using a self-report questionnaire. Independent variables included 14 individual readiness items related to clinical and professional tasks, sociodemographic data and reported experience of rural clinical school (RCS) training. Participants were 668 medical students (55.3% females) completing a full academic year in rural Australia. Multivariable analysis explored factors associated with overall readiness for work as a junior doctor. 86% agreed that RCS experience prepared them to undertake the roles and responsibilities of a junior doctor. Self-ratings for specific clinical and professional tasks varied from a mean score of 5.9-8.0 out of 10, and 13 of the 14 items were associated with the outcome (p-value <0.001, except for performing spirometry). Lowest readiness scores were seen for some aspects including raising concerns about a colleague (mean score 6.1) or responding to workplace bullying (mean score 6.0). Aspects of the RCS experience that were strongly associated with overall readiness included: feeling a valued team-member (OR 9.28, 95%CI 2.43-35.39), feeling well-supported academically (OR 6.64, 95%CI 3.39-13.00), having opportunity for unsupervised but supported clinical practice (OR 4.67, 95%CI 1.45-15.00), having a rural mentor (OR 3.38, 95%CI 1.89-6.06) and having a previous health professional qualification (OR 2.7, 95%CI 1.32-5.54). Most RCS students felt ready for work as a junior doctor. Important aspects of RCS experience are likely to include students feeling integrated within the clinical team and having opportunities for authentic clinical roles. There remains a significant challenge for medical school curricula to address professional areas where graduates felt less prepared.

Exploring rural secondary students’ English language learning anxiety: A study on secondary students of Bauphal, Patuakhali, Bangladesh

For more than a decade second language researchers, psychologists and language practitioners have found out multifarious impact of anxiety on language learning process. Realizing its’ significance in the EFL context of Bangladesh, this study has explored the anxieties of rural secondary school students in learning English and offered some specific suggestions to reduce it. This mixed approach research collected quantitative data by administering Foreign Language Anxiety scale and gathered qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 20 students of 10 secondary schools of Bauphal upzilla, Pautakhali. Quantitative data was put in SPSS version 22 for statistical analysis and presented graphically and qualitative data was interpreted thematically. Results revealed that secondary students in this rural context experienced English language learning anxiety as about 68.44% of students were anxious about negative evaluation; 51.27% about classroom anxiety; 61.2% about test anxiety and 60.88% about communicating in English. Findings of this study have implications for the English language teachers of secondary and higher secondary levels particularly in the rural areas by drawing their attention to learners’ foreign language anxiety (FLA) as a major barrier to learning English and by suggesting them some possible ways to lessen it and for the academicians who aspire to come up with effective teaching methodologies considering the contextual variations to maximize foreign language learning outputs

Distance Learning During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison between Schools in Urban dan Rural Area in Bali

Covid-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to the education system. Most schools with limited or no experience with online learning and schools with no prepared online learning sources will encounter some challenges. This research analyzes similarities and differences between the difficulties faced by teacher and students for schools in different locations. Schools in rural and urban area of Buleleng were chosen, 2 elementary school, 2 junior high school, and 2 senior high schools. Teacher and students in those schools were observed and interviewed related to their online learning implementation, their difficulties, as well as their ways to cope with the difficulties. In analyzing the qualitative data consists of three steps such as, data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing. The result shows that the difficulties faced were not so much different, between urban and rural school teachers and students. Most of them mention internet connection as the problem. However, their ways to cope with the difficulties are varied. Urban and rural teachers and students have their own way to solve their problems. These differences give insight in order to face difficulties in implementing online learning.

A Rural-Urban Comparison of the Effectiveness of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) Strategy of Instruction on Senior Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Geography

The study compared the effect of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy on academic achievement of urban and rural Senior Secondary School students in geography in Lagos State, Nigeria. A quasi-experimental design with four research questions and hypotheses was adopted for the study. Mean and standard deviation were employed to analyze and respond to the research questions, and an independent t-test with a significance value of 5% was used to analyze and test the hypotheses that were obtained from the research questions. Data were collected using Think-Pair-Share Geography Achievement Test (TPSGAT) with 50 Multiple Choice Objective Questions. A multistage sampling technique was adopted in selecting the schools and students involved in the study. In all, four senior secondary schools were selected based on location (2 schools from urban and 2 schools from rural areas). In each region, one school served as an experimental group and one as a control group. The experimental groups from both regions (urban and rural areas) were taught through Think-Pair-Share (TPS) while control groups were taught using Conventional Teaching strategy. Findings revealed that schools taught with Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy got better academic performance than those taught with conventional teaching strategy in both locations. Also, it was discovered that the performance of rural school students was better compared to that of urban school students with much statistically significant difference when exposed to TPS. The study therefore recommended among others, that: curriculum planners should ensure the inclusion of TPS among recommended strategy for teaching secondary school students of Geography irrespective of school location; curriculum planners should restructure Geography curriculum in such a way that it will accommodate the use of TPS on the school timetable, and that schools should ensure teachers are trained in the application of TPS strategy for teaching-learning processes.

KÖY OKULLARINDA ÖĞRENİM GÖREN ÇOCUKLARIN GÖRSEL OKUMA BİÇİMLERİ

Çalışma köy okulunda öğrenim gören 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin görsel okuma biçimlerini tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın yapılma sebebi, literatürde 8. sınıf köy okullarında öğrenim gören öğrencilere yönelik görsel okuma özelinde yapılmış bir çalışmaya rastlanılmaması ve merkezi yerleştirme sınavlarında görsel okumaya yönelik soruların artış göstermesidir. Çalışma durum çalışma modeli ile kurgulanmış, nitel bir araştırmadır. Çalışma grubunu kolay ulaşılabilirlik ve ölçüt örneklem yoluyla seçilen 8. sınıfta öğrenim gören 56 köy okulu öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak, görsellere ait yorumların istendiği açık uçlu çalışma kâğıtları kullanılmıştır. Cevaplar betimsel analize tabi tutularak Hasan Efe’nin “Karikatürü Düşündüren İnsan” kitabında belirttiği görsel metin olarak karikatürün anlam yapısı konusunda derin yapı ve yüzey yapı başlıklarına göre kategorize edilerek incelenmiştir. Cevaplarda öğrencilerin çoğunluğunun yüzeysel yapıyı tasvir ettiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Bu kategorideki 12 öğrencinin cevabında düz okumada öne çıkan sembollerin yüzeysel yapıdan uzaklaşarak simgelere başka anlamlar yüklediği göze çarpmıştır. Sonuç olarak köy okullarında öğrenim gören çocukların çoğunun görsel okuma açısından yeterince gelişemediği görülmüştür. Öğretmen görüşlerine göre öğrenci velilerinin eğitime ilgisizliği, bu öğrencilerin öğrenim hayatları boyunca farklı uyarıcılarla karşılaşmaması ve teknolojik araçlara rahat erişimlerinin mümkün olmaması ile okuma alışkanlıklarının edinmiş olmamaları, bu duruma sebep teşkil eden durumlardır.

The Implementation of Quizizz in Learning at SDN 08 Sui Ruk Bengkayang

The development of Information and Computer Technology (ICT) has had a broad impact on various sectors of life, including the education sector and ICT mastery. Through formal education, students are equipped with insight from an early age which becomes the basis for continuous learning and developing problem-solving skills. However, in Bengkayang District, West Kalimantan, the ICT education program has not yet reached students in several rural schools, including SDN 08 Sungai Ruk, where students are not familiar with computers both in terms of hardware and software. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education. Since March 16 2020 in Indonesia, students have been studying from home through an online system to prevent the spread of the virus.&#x0D; Nonetheless, the government continues to encourage teaching and learning activities even though remotely. Based on these problems, Quizizz is implemented for students of SDN 08 Sungai Ruk so that elementary school students have knowledge and skills in operating computers both in terms of hardware and software, and increase learning motivation. This implementation provides an introduction to computer introduction material regarding computer basics such as computer components and their functions. Followed by a Fun Game that aims to break the ice. And finally an interactive quiz was held using the Quizizz platform which was based on the material previously presented.

Integrating educational robot and low-cost self-made toys to enhance STEM learning performance for primary school students

ABSTRACT The application of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education in solving real-world problems is challenging. To tackle this challenge, a project-based learning approach that integrates robots with cost-effective self-made toys to problem-solving was adopted to assist rural primary school students to apply STEM skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the project-based learning approach which includes lecturing and hands-on activities on primary school students’ STEM learning outcomes and attitudes. An experiment was conducted with 25 primary school students who voluntarily participated in a STEM summer-camp programme. Students were asked to assemble a paper house equipped with an IoT control module and LED light switches, and write and edit robot scripts to produce a robot-based storytelling narrative using the paper house they made as a context. The results show that the project-based learning approach was an effective approach for cultivating primary school students’ STEM knowledge and skills as evidenced from the post-written test. The relationships between the students’ STEM learning outcomes and attitudes were also confirmed by a clustering analysis. Students who had higher learning attitudes also achieved higher STEM learning outcomes; the findings are also supported by the feedback from the open-ended questionnaire items. This study suggests that integrating low-cost self-made toys and robots in project-based learning activities is an effective and practical approach to enhance primary school students’ learning outcomes and learning attitudes in STEM education.

Folk Sports and Physical Education: 'Beyond the Classroom' - An Exploration of the Relationship Between Folk Sports Participation and Physical Education in Rural Schools

Physical education and sports are important aspects of the school curriculum because they promote students' physical fitness, intellectual achievement, and general well-being. Nonetheless, the link between involvement in folk sports and these results is still being researched, particularly in rural school contexts. As a result, the purpose of this study is to look into the impact of folk sports participation on academic achievement, well-being, and physical fitness in rural school children, with an emphasis on the mediating function of student engagement and student motivation. The study surveyed 450 rural schoolchildren from three Chinese schools using a standardized questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed folk sports, academic success, well-being, fitness, student engagement, and motivation. Smartpls 4 was used to evaluate the gathered data. The study's findings show that involvement in folk sports has a strong beneficial link with academic achievement, well-being, and physical fitness among rural school pupils. The study also discovered that student interest and motivation serve as a buffer between participation in folk sports and these outcomes. Folk sports increase academic performance, well-being, and physical health by engaging and motivating students. The study's findings can help rural schoolchildren exercise, study, and stay healthy. The study found that introducing folk sports to physical education programs can improve these results, especially when kids are engaged and motivated. In rural schools, contextual and cultural factors should be considered when creating physical education programs, according to the study. These findings can inform rural school students' evidence-based treatments to improve physical activity, academic performance, and well-being.

External Factors Affect English Learning in Rural Elementary Schools: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this study was to discover some external factors that influence the difficulties of teaching and learning English in rural schools for young learners. To obtain detailed data or information, data was collected in this study through observation and interviews using a qualitative research method and a type of case study. The research was conducted at an Al Fatch elementary school in the Silo sub-district of Jember Regency, East Java. The findings revealed that several external factors influence the difficulty of teaching and learning English for young students in rural schools, including 1) the school's location is far from urban areas, making it difficult for the community to reach it; 2) inadequate school infrastructure; 3) inadequate school facilities cannot support the continuity of the English teaching and learning process; 4) a lack of learning resources for students and teachers; 5) the language barrier, which is influenced by the community surrounding the school, which speaks the local language more frequently, makes it difficult for students to understand Indonesian as a medium of instruction in the teaching process.

Effects of Audio-Visual Media on Academic Achievement of Senior Secondary Schools Islamic Studies Students in Kwara State, Nigeria

The Nigeria government provide audio visual media for their teachers for the effective teaching and learning process of the all subjects. Academic achievement is the performance of students in the subjects they study in the school. This determines the pupils’ status in the class. This gives children an opportunity to develop their talents, improve their grades and prepare for future academic challenges. The above fact calls for investigation on the effects of audio-visual media on academic achievement of senior secondary schools’ Islamic Studies students in Kwara State, Nigeria. This study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. the specific research design used was pretest and posttest, non-equivalent control group design. The population for this study was one hundred and fifty-seven (157) Islamic studies students in Ilorin South, Kwara State, Nigeria. Simple randomly sampling technique was using to select 50 SS II Islamic Studies students in senior secondary school in Ilorin South, Kwara State, Nigeria. This study also used 25 students for experimental group and 25 students for control group. Questionnaire was used for data analysis. Hypotheses were tested using t-test statistical package at an alpha level of 0.05. The finding of the study revealed that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement of private and public senior secondary school students taught Islamic studies using audio-visual media and those taught using chart. The result also revealed that there was no significant difference in academic achievement of male and female students taught Islamic studies using audio-visual media and those taught using chart. Also, there was no significant difference in academic achievement of rural and urban senior secondary school students taught Islamic studies using audio-visual media and those taught using chart This study concluded that audio-visual media has a significant effect on academic achievement of senior secondary school Islamic Studies students. The study recommended that infrastructure of the schools should be designed in such a way that of audio-visual aids could be used successfully.

The Use of Mathematics Comics to Develop Logical-Mathematical Intelligence for Junior High School Students

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;Logical-mathematical intelligence is highly needed to ease students’ understanding of mathematics concepts. Therefore, it is necessary to delivery an innovative teaching approach to enhance students’ logical-mathematical intelligence. This study aims to investigate the use of mathematics comics to increase the logical-mathematical intelligence of junior high school students in urban and rural schools. This study employed a quantitative approach with a pretest-posttest control group design. The population of this study were seventh-grade students from a junior high school in Banda Aceh (urban areas) and a junior high school in Aceh Besar (rural areas), Indonesia. The samples of this study were two classes (experimental and control) from each school which were selected randomly. To collect data, we used a logical-mathematical intelligence test and analyzed it by using t-test. This study shows that the use of mathematical comics in urban schools can improve mathematical logical intelligence. However, there was no improvement in students' mathematical logical intelligence in rural schools. Therefore, this study showed that using mathematics comics in different school conditions yield different results in logical-mathematical intelligence. The findings suggest that other learning innovations are required to improve students' logical-mathematical intelligence in rural areas.&lt;/p&gt;

Time Argonaut: A Game to Practice Telling Time in English for Rural School Students

This article describes the design and development of an educational game for primary school students in a rural area of Sarawak. Students from rural Sarawak areas face several challenges contributing to demotivation when learning Mathematics and Sciences, including poor English proficiency, limited accessibility to the internet and gadgets, lack of genuine opportunities to practice English in real life, and teachers' English proficiency. In this study, a gamified learning module was designed to teach about time and tailored to students' needs. 25 Primary One students from a rural Baram, Sarawak school were recruited through crowdsourced convenience sampling for the study. Playday was conducted with the students to collect their feedback, and results were obtained from observation and feedback. Results from the playday showed that the students perceived that the game was fun and motivated them to learn about clock reading and time, engaging them to collaborate in learning and promoting teamwork in learning. The integration of gamification in teaching creates a meaningful learning process for students. It is recommended to examine the effectiveness of gamification at the secondary school level in future studies and explore the effectiveness of different game designs and game mechanisms

A STUDY OF JUNK FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

The education system given emphasis towards study habit of students but it is also important to take care of students eating habit. The healthy eating habit help student to lead healthy in life style as well as a standard academic life also. Our present young generation attracted towards junk food which is easily available in the market. Everybody knows that junk food is not good for health and even adults also consuming junk food, they buy junk food for their children. The present study focus on secondary school students who consume junk food. The study reveals that there is no significant difference was observed male and female secondary school students with respect to junk food consumption scores (t = -0.2814 &gt;0.05) . Hence, the hypothesis is accepted. It means that, no difference found with regard to Junk food consumption scores among male and female students of secondary school students and significant difference was observed between government and private school students with respect to Junk food consumption scores (t= -2.7553, p&lt;0.05) at 5% level of significance. Hence, the hypothesis is rejected. The alternative hypothesis is accepted. It means that, junk food consumption scores are significantly higher among private schools as compare to government secondary schools. A significant difference was observed between rural and urban secondary school students with respect Junk food consumption scores (t= -3.4864, p&lt;0.05) at 5% level of significance. Hence, the hypothesis is rejected. It means that, Junk food consumption scores are significantly higher urban schools as compare to rural secondary school students. A significant difference was observed between joint family and nuclear family member of secondary school students with respect Junk food consumption scores (t = -4.2955, p&lt;0.05) at 5% level of significance. Hence, the hypothesis is rejected. It means that, Junk food consumption scores are significantly higher nuclear family member as compare to joint family member among secondary schools. It is suggested that parents and teacher should sparkle awareness about negative effect of junk food on health among secondary school students.

Breaking the Mould: Vocational Interest of Secondary School Students across Gender and Socio-economic Status

The researcher has tried to know and acknowledge the vocational interests of secondary school students of Dakshin Dinajpur District in West Bengal. The objectives of this study are; 1. To study the relationship between vocational interest and social economic status of Secondary school students; 2. To compare the vocational interest of male and female secondary school students; 3.To compare the socio economic status among male and female secondary school students; 4. To compare the vocational interest of rural and urban secondary school students; 5.To compare the vocational interest of General and SC/ST/OBC Secondary school students. This study investigated the vocational interest across gender and socio-economic status among a random sample of 300 secondary school students. The researcher used; the Vocational Interest Record developed by Dr. S.P. Kulshrestha, (2017) to measure the Vocational Interest and the socio-economic status scale developed by Prof. Ashok k. Kalla&amp; Mr. Sudhir Sahu (2012) to measure the socio economic status. The data were analyzed with the help of Mean, S.D. and t-test to study the vocational interest of secondary school students of Dakshin Dinajpur District in relation socio-economic status. The study revealed that there is a significant difference between the Vocational Interests of urban and rural students and Gender variations are not evident in Vocational Interests among secondary school students. Vocational Interests and socioeconomic status are negatively correlated. The findings from this study have implications for the teachers or educators to acquire knowledge of the Vocational interests of urban and rural students. It also exaggerates the necessity of educational and vocational guidance and counselling at the stage of secondary school.

Factors Determining the Optimization of Digital Technology in Rural Schools

Digital technology greatly benefits rural areas by providing access to information, education, and communication resources. For example, internet access can connect people in rural areas to online educational resources, job opportunities, and social networks. However, implementing digital technology in rural areas can be challenging due to myriad factors. In exploring the challenges and struggles of technology among students in rural areas, this research explores factors that contributed to the optimization of technology in rural localities. A quantitative descriptive and correlational study was employed on 231 fourth-grade secondary school students at the selected public schools in the eastern part of Malaysia. A set of questionnaires was developed and distributed on-field. Four variables were tested in this research: (a) knowledge, (b) motivation, (c) attitude, and (d) technology readiness. The findings demonstrated that knowledge of using digital technology was the prominent indicator depicting technology readiness among the studied population. Further discussions elaborated in this article promotes the better implementation of digital technology to rural school students which eventually prosper a meaningful learning ecosystem and embark nations’ strategic planning on digitization effort.

A Study on Problem-solving Ability among Higher Secondary School Students in Aizawl City in relation to Locale and Type of School Management

This study was conducted to study the problem-solving abilities among higher secondary school students in Aizawl city. The sample consists of 160 students from six different Higher Secondary Schools in Aizawl city in which three schools are Government schools and the other three are Private schools. Problem-solving ability test (PSAT) developed by L.N.Dubey was used as a tool for data collection. The findings of the study revealed that there was no significant difference between urban and rural higher secondary school students in their problem-solving abilities; and there was no significant difference between arts and commerce higher secondary school students.