ABSTRACT
In the past two decades, there has accumulated a considerable corpus of research on the learning of mathematics and science and the use of mathematical and scientific knowledge to solve problems. The purpose of this chapter is to briefly summarize several important features of the cognitive theory and related research that are directly relevant to scientific and mathematical problem solving. Because it is not possible to present a complete summary of the themes and findings in this vast literature, our emphasis is on those aspects of the theory and research that might help in designing problem-solving instruction to produce students who are better equipped to use their mathematical and scientific knowledge in solving problems. The interested can find additional summaries and useful information from this literature in other sources (e.g., Frederiksen, 1984; Silver, 1987).
