World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. VI, Issue I (January 2026), pp.62-82
ROSEMARIE D. SAMSON
Master of Arts in Education major in Physical Science
Tarlac State University
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Minnesota Problem Solving Strategy in strengthening the problem-solving skills of the students in solving word problems in physics and proposed a contextualized model based on the challenges encountered by the students and teacher in using the MPSS. The researcher used a quasi-experimental design and a one-group pretest-posttest. The respondents were the Grade 12 students (HUMSS) of Armenia Integrated School. They learned to solve word problems with the MPSS and assess its efficacy based on pretest and posttest results.
Findings show that the Minnesota Problem-Solving Strategy is effective in improving students' problem-solving skills when solving physics word problems. It helped them perform better in solving physics word problems. Students became more organized in showing their solutions and confident in explaining their answers. These suggest that a structured problem-solving strategy can make physics lessons understandable and easy for students. However, despite the improved performance of the students, the use of the Minnesota Physics Problem Solving Strategy (MPSS) was perceived as a moderate challenge for students and teachers.
Because of these results, the researcher recommends a simplified, contextualized version of the MPSS. The contextualized MPSS simplified and condensed the steps into three instead of five, making it easier for students to understand and follow each step. The model also features guided prompts at each stage to support independent learning and boost students' confidence, which will be more suitable for the learning needs, pace, and contextual realities of senior high school students in the Philippines.
Keywords: Minnesota Problem-Solving Strategy, physics word problems, quasi-experimental design, problem-solving skills, senior high school, contextualized instruction
