Problem-Solving Followed by Instruction: State-of-the-Art and New Directions

This thesis makes three inter-related contributions pertinent to problem-solving followed by instruction (PS-I), a learning design with high potential to influence students’ conceptual understanding and transfer. The first contribution aims at expanding the field meta-analytically by investigating factors affecting PS-I efficacy, relative to other widely practiced learning designs such as instruction followed by problem-solving (I-PS), scaffolded problem-solving followed by instruction (+PS-I), and alternative preparatory activity (e.g., worked example, problem-posing) followed by instruction (!PS-I). This strand of research is motivated by the fact that on the one hand, immense variability exists in PS-I implementations over the years, while on the other hand, attempts to synthesize this body of work are mostly qualitative in nature. The conducted meta-analyses therefore fill the research gap of identifying conditions under which preparatory problem-solving effects are best fostered. Results suggest a significant differential advantage of PS-I over I-PS, with additive effects when PS-I is implemented with high fidelity to the design principles of Productive Failure (PF). The learning advantage of PS-I still holds relative to !PS-I (albeit marginally significantly, and with partially additive effects for PF fidelity). However, existing work on scaffolding preparatory problem-solving (primarily towards problem-solving success) has no added learning benefits. The second contribution, via a classroom and follow-up lab study, therefore aims at experimentally investigating deliberate, guided failure as a novel scaffolding strategy within PS-I. This strand of research is motivated by the fact that within PS-I, there is a growing body of research on (i) unsuccessful attempts to explicitly scaffold problem-solving towards success (e.g., via cognitive and/or metacognitive support), and, (ii) mixed attempts to increase failure-likelihood by leaving preparatory problem-solving unscaffolded (that is, by not providing any ...