Abstract:
The rapid transformation of the global educational landscape in the 21st century has redefined the core competencies required for academic and professional success. Problem-solving, once considered a peripheral or supplemental skill, has now become a central pillar of school curricula around the world (OECD, 2018). As societies grapple with increasingly complex challenges—including climate change, public health crises, automation, and shifting labor markets—the ability to think critically, solve unstructured problems, and continuously adapt has moved from the margins to the forefront of educational priorities. Consequently, the traditional emphasis on rote memorization, passive reception of information, and standardized assessment is being fundamentally reconsidered in favor of frameworks that nurture adaptive expertise, cognitive flexibility, and strategic thinking (Trilling & Fadel, 2009).
