A learner reaches an unfamiliar task and says, “I can’t do this.” They may understand some of the information but feel unsure how to begin. If earlier experiences have left them expecting criticism, even making a first attempt can feel uncomfortable. A teacher’s response at that moment can help them find a manageable starting point.
Teaching problem solving gives young people a way to investigate a difficulty and decide what to try. For teachers, tutors and youth workers supporting 18–24-year-olds, that means explaining the thinking behind a task, providing suitable practice and helping learners recognise what their attempts reveal. These skills can support education, everyday independence and preparation for work.
At IM MORE, Discover, Believe, Become provides a structure for this work. Learners discover what a situation requires, build belief through supported attempts and use their developing skills to take another step. A useful lesson leaves someone able to explain their decision and identify where to turn if they need help.
Begin with a clear understanding of the difficulty
Before asking for a solution, help learners describe what needs to happen. A broad statement such as “I’m bad at applications” can contain several different difficulties. Someone might struggle to find a suitable vacancy, understand a question or upload a document. Ask them to show the point where they became unsure.
Turn that information into a specific question. “How can I find and attach the correct CV?” gives the lesson a practical focus. Identify what the learner already knows and what needs teaching. A missing digital skill requires explanation and practice before the learner can reasonably be expected to complete the process independently.
Discuss the goal and any fixed requirements. For a classroom task, these may include a deadline or a limited budget. Explain which details learners can change. This gives them a basis for judging an option and helps prevent a confident suggestion from being accepted without checking whether it meets the task.
Connect the task with something learners recognise
Use situations with a clear purpose. Learners could compare routes to a fictional interview, plan materials for a community activity or work out how to clarify an incomplete instruction. Explain the background so everyone can participate, including students who have had little workplace experience.
Invite learners to suggest contexts they would find useful. Someone interested in hospitality might explore a booking mix-up, while another might prefer planning a small sports event. Keep the learning objective visible across the options. Interest can provide a way into the subject, and the lesson still needs to teach the relevant knowledge.
Use fictional information when the exercise involves personal details, money or applications. Learners can investigate choices without disclosing private circumstances or making a real commitment. Make the practice setting clear and explain what would need checking before the same action could be used outside the classroom.
Show the thinking behind the first attempt
Demonstrate a worked example before asking learners to tackle a similar problem. Read the question, identify the important information and explain why you choose a particular approach. Make your checks visible. A learner watching only the finished answer may miss the decisions that made it possible.
The Education Endowment Foundation’s metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance describes teaching pupils strategies for planning, monitoring and evaluating within subject learning. That evidence concerns school settings. For tutors working with young adults, it offers a starting point for planning explanations and reviewing how well an approach works with their learners.
Teach the subject knowledge the example requires. A budgeting task may involve addition and comparing totals. A communication problem may require understanding an audience and choosing relevant information. Provide a short guide where useful, then check whether learners can explain the purpose of each step.
Teaching Problem Solving Through a Practical Sequence
Begin by asking learners to describe the problem and the intended outcome. Next, identify the information available and any important gaps. They can then suggest a small number of possible responses, compare them against the requirements and choose one to test. Finish by reviewing what happened and deciding whether another action is needed.
Work through the sequence gradually. A learner may need support to distinguish a fact from an assumption before comparing options. Ask where a claim comes from and whether the task materials support it. If information is missing, identifying a suitable question can be a reasonable next step.
Keep the sequence accessible during early practice. Use a brief written prompt or model another example. As learners gain experience, ask which stage would help them now. The aim is for them to choose a useful action and explain their reasoning with an appropriate level of independence.
Use an everyday challenge to practise decisions
Imagine a group planning a fictional learning event with a £30 budget. Materials cost £18, printing costs £8 and travel costs £10. First, ask learners to calculate the total. At £36, the plan exceeds the budget by £6. Check that everyone understands the calculation before asking them to propose changes.
The group might investigate reusing materials, reducing printing or choosing another suitable travel arrangement. Give learners accurate information about the options. If reusing materials reduces that cost to £12, the revised total becomes £30. Ask whether the materials still meet the event’s needs and whether any other costs have been overlooked.
Learners then explain their recommendation using the figures and the requirements. Several options may be worth exploring, but each needs evidence. Change one condition afterwards, such as the printing requirement, and ask what must be reconsidered. This shows whether learners can adapt the reasoning to a revised problem.
Make room for different ways to contribute
Give learners time to think individually before opening a group discussion. They could note an option, sketch a sequence or prepare a question. This helps you hear from students who need longer to organise their ideas and provides material for a more considered exchange.
Explain how the group will compare suggestions and share responsibilities. Rotate roles with appropriate support so each person can practise contributing to decisions. Observe whose ideas receive attention and intervene when interruptions prevent someone from finishing. Respectful discussion needs to be taught and maintained throughout the activity.
Check individual understanding after the group has agreed an answer. Ask each learner to explain one decision or complete a short variation. A successful group outcome can involve different levels of understanding. Use individual responses to decide who needs another example, further practice or a more demanding task.
Build belief through feedback and manageable challenges
Respond to an unsuccessful attempt by examining what happened. The learner may have misunderstood the goal, selected irrelevant information or made a calculation error. Identify the specific difficulty and teach the next action. Saying “try again” gives little direction when the original approach remains unclear.
The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on teacher feedback emphasises addressing gaps in learning. In practice, explain what the learner should change and provide time to use the feedback. Ask them to show the revision so you can check whether the explanation helped.
Recognise specific progress, such as noticing an overlooked condition or asking a relevant question. For young people rebuilding confidence after unemployment, IM MORE’s article on unemployment and self-worth can support a wider conversation about confidence. Keep the lesson feedback grounded in what the learner has actually practised and understood.
Help learners recognise when to ask for support
Include situations in which the sensible next action is to seek information or guidance. A learner facing an unfamiliar workplace instruction might need to ask a supervisor before proceeding. Discuss what they know, what remains unclear and who is responsible for providing an answer. This helps them prepare a focused question.
Practise asking for help in a way the learner can use. They could explain what they are trying to achieve, show the step they have attempted and identify the information they need. Offer a written prompt or a short rehearsal when useful. Let them choose suitable words and check that the request is clear.
Review how the response changes the available options. New information might resolve the difficulty or reveal another requirement. Ask learners to explain what they would do next and why. This makes seeking support part of a considered approach to the task and gives them practice in using advice thoughtfully.
Plan a session with time to review learning
A possible 45-minute session could begin with five minutes to introduce the event-budget challenge and check essential vocabulary. Use the next ten minutes to model the calculation and one comparison. Give learners fifteen minutes for individual preparation and paired work, with teaching support available when a misconception appears.
Allow ten minutes for learners to test their recommendation and explain their decision. During the final five minutes, ask each person to complete a short variation independently and identify one question they still have. Adjust these timings to the group and provide additional practice where needed.
Use the final responses to plan the next session. If learners understand the calculation but struggle to justify a choice, teach how to connect a reason with evidence. If they cannot yet calculate the total accurately, return to that knowledge before adding another layer of decision making.
Connect Discover Believe Become with the next opportunity
During Discover, learners identify the task, their existing strengths and the information they need. Ask what they have managed in a similar situation and where they became stuck. Their response can help you choose an example and the right level of support without assuming that every learner begins in the same place.
During Believe, provide manageable opportunities to attempt the process and use feedback. Review what changed between attempts. A learner who can explain why the revised budget works has evidence of progress they can recognise. Agree the next challenge together, considering both their understanding and their experience of the activity.
Become involves applying the learning to another suitable task, such as planning a journey or clarifying a course requirement. Check any new knowledge the situation demands and identify who can help. Support can include asking a tutor, contacting the relevant organisation or locating reliable information before making a decision.
For young people who feel uncertain about learning or their next step, a problem-solving lesson can provide a practical experience of beginning. Choose one clear challenge, teach the knowledge it requires and give learners time to explain their decisions. Each review should leave them with a clearer understanding of what they have learned and what they can try next.
