Effects of design thinking on transdisciplinary thinking and academic resilience in biology

In many high school settings, traditional instruction often fails to build the transdisciplinary thinking and resilience needed for tackling complex, real‑world problems. To address this gap, a study examined the effects of design thinking–guided biology teaching and the moderating role of academic resilience. Conducted in a Philippine public senior high school, the eight‑week intervention involved 60 students divided into experimental and control groups. Guided by a mixed‑methods approach, it combined pretest–posttest questionnaires with focus groups, observations, and reflections. Results revealed significant gains in transdisciplinary thinking for the experimental group, with academic resilience acting as a critical moderator. More resilient students demonstrated deeper engagement, persistence, collaboration, and an ability to connect biology across disciplines. Qualitative data captured increased comfort with ambiguity, openness to feedback, and making connections across fields. These findings highlight design thinking–guided biology teaching as valuable for nurturing both transdisciplinary thinking and academic resilience in senior high school settings.