Interactive Digital Media-Assisted SSCS Learning: A Solution to Enhance Problem-Solving Ability and Alleviate Mathematics Anxiety

Problem-solving is a practical skill that students must master in 21st-century learning. However, various findings indicate that this capability remains low among junior high school students, who are beginning to study mathematical concepts in greater depth. Anxiety toward the subject matter, teachers, and mathematics instruction itself is a key factor influencing students' mathematical problem-solving performance. To address this, this study aims to examine the effect of the Search, Solve, Create, and Share (SSCS) learning model, a model that provides a clear roadmap for students to implement Polya's problem-solving steps, assisted by interactive digital media (PhET and Mathigon), on students' problem-solving ability and anxiety. This quasi-experimental study used a factorial design and included eighth-grade students. The research sample was selected using the cluster random sampling technique. Data were collected using a test instrument and a mathematics anxiety questionnaire and were subsequently analyzed using a two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results of the study indicate that: (1) Hypothesis testing showed that there was a significant effect of different learning models on students’ problem-solving ability, with Fobs (= 8.405) > Ftab (= 4.016). Furthermore, based on the marginal means, the interactive digital media PhET-assisted SSCS model was more effective, with a mean score of 66.129, than PBL, which had a mean score of 56.222. (2) Students with lower levels of anxiety demonstrate better problem-solving performance, as indicated by the marginal means, with low anxiety (=72.822) > moderate anxiety (= 61.905) > high anxiety (= 52.833); and (3) there is no interaction effect between the learning models and anxiety levels. These findings suggest that integrating SSCS syntax with the visualization features in PhET and Mathigon provides effective scaffolding that reduces cognitive load, thereby improving learning outcomes across all levels of student anxiety..