Examining the Relationship Between Cognitive Flexibility and Effective Problem Solving Skills in School Principals: A Canonical Correlation Analysis

Abstract

Current study aims to explore the relationship among cognitive flexibility variables (alternative and control) and effective problem solving variables (impulsive, reflective, avoidant, monitoring, problem solving confidence, and planfulness) in school principals’ sample. The population of the research consists of 564 school administrators working in public schools in Siirt, Turkey, in the 2020-2021 academic year. Research data were collected from 50 female and 261 male administrators who volunteered to participate in the research among school administrators. \"Cognitive Flexibility Inventory\" and \"Problem Solving Inventory\" were used as data collection tools in the study. Two independent t-tests were conducted to examine gender differences in participants' both cognitive flexibility and overall problem-solving scores. According to the research findings, it was determined that school administrators' cognitive flexibility levels and problem solving skills did not differ significantly according to gender. The canonical correlation analyze was utilized to test interrelationship between two set of variables. The canonical correlation analyze revealed two significant canonical functions. The findings of first canonical function indicated that, when both alternative and control sub-dimension of cognitive flexibility and total cognitive flexibility scores increase impulsive and avoidant scores decrease, while reflective, monitoring, problem solving confidence, and planfulness sub-dimensions of effective problem solving and total problem solving scores increase. The results also showed that there was a high and a positive correlation between overall cognitive flexibility level of school administrations and their effective problem solving skills. The findings of second canonical function also indicated that when alternative scores increase and control scores decrease, reflecting, monitoring, and impulsive problem solving scores decrease. Overall, the results suggest that the cognitive flexibility and effective problem solving nicely complement each other. In these respect, in order to be equipped to effectively solve problems, school principals need to be also equipped with cognitive flexibility skills.