Abstract

Problem-solving and collaboration skills are widely recognized as essential competencies for pre-service kindergarten teachers, yet Chinese teacher preparation programs have struggled to bridge the gap between theoretical instruction and practical application. This study reports the implementation outcomes of an eight-component instructional model grounded in constructivism and situated learning theory. The intervention was delivered over one academic semester to 36 second-year preschool education students in China. Using a one-group pre-test-post-test design, problem-solving skills were measured before and after the intervention, while collaboration skills were assessed at five time points during instruction. Because no control or comparison group was included, the findings are interpreted as observed changes associated with the instructional model rather than as causal effects. Results showed that the total problem-solving score changed from 71.69 to 79.11 (t = 13.28, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 2.21). Collaboration skills exhibited a stepwise pattern across five dimensions, with score rates rising from 66.60% to 96.60%. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of dimension (F = 432.62, p < .001, partial η² = 0.925). A consistent pattern emerged across both skill areas: behavioral-level competencies showed larger observed gains than deeper-level qualities, suggesting that these deeper capacities may require longer cultivation periods. These implementation findings offer preliminary evidence for integrating constructivist and situated learning principles in pre-service teacher education. They should be interpreted with caution given the single-group design, single intact class, and reliance on observer/self ratings. Future controlled and multi-source studies are needed.

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