TY - JOUR

T1 - A field experimental study of analytical problem solving competence-Investigating effects of training and transfer

AU - Buchwald, Florian

AU - Fleischer, Jens

AU - Leutner, Detlev

PY - 2015/12/1

Y1 - 2015/12/1

N2 - Problem solving is a key concept used to cope with the demands of a rapidly changing world. It is regarded both as a cross-curricular competence that is related to, but not identical to, general cognitive abilities, and as a domain-specific competence (e.g., in mathematics). Based on results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 and a connected repeated measurement study in Germany (PISA-I-Plus), the cognitive potential exploitation hypothesis postulates that crosscurricular analytical problem solving competence can be regarded as a resource for improving domainspecific problem solving competence in mathematics. The paper presents results from a 15-week field experimental training study (N= 173 students in Grade 9) investigating aspects of this hypothesis by addressing this research question: can broad training in cross-curricular analytical problem solving with a focus on conditional knowledge, procedural knowledge, and planning skills enhance (1) cross-curricular analytical problem solving and (2) mathematical problem solving? The results show an interactive effect between treatment and prior cross-curricular problem solving competence indicating an effect of transfer for low-achieving problem-solvers on mathematical problem solving competence. The results are discussed from both an educational research and an instructional perspective.

AB - Problem solving is a key concept used to cope with the demands of a rapidly changing world. It is regarded both as a cross-curricular competence that is related to, but not identical to, general cognitive abilities, and as a domain-specific competence (e.g., in mathematics). Based on results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 and a connected repeated measurement study in Germany (PISA-I-Plus), the cognitive potential exploitation hypothesis postulates that crosscurricular analytical problem solving competence can be regarded as a resource for improving domainspecific problem solving competence in mathematics. The paper presents results from a 15-week field experimental training study (N= 173 students in Grade 9) investigating aspects of this hypothesis by addressing this research question: can broad training in cross-curricular analytical problem solving with a focus on conditional knowledge, procedural knowledge, and planning skills enhance (1) cross-curricular analytical problem solving and (2) mathematical problem solving? The results show an interactive effect between treatment and prior cross-curricular problem solving competence indicating an effect of transfer for low-achieving problem-solvers on mathematical problem solving competence. The results are discussed from both an educational research and an instructional perspective.

KW - PISA

KW - Problem solving

KW - Training

KW - Transfer

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84952715368&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.tsc.2015.04.009

DO - 10.1016/j.tsc.2015.04.009

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84952715368

VL - 18

SP - 18

EP - 31

JO - Thinking Skills and Creativity

JF - Thinking Skills and Creativity

SN - 1871-1871

ER -