Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Does solving more science problems result in better understanding of science? Not necessarily.
The reason has to do with the distinction between procedural and conceptual knowledge, what kinds of problems call for which kind of knowledge, and how students go about solving the problems in the first place.
The example I draw from here looks at physics, but the same principles apply to other scientific problem-solving situations.
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00:00 Introduction
00:49 Study results
01:03 Thinking process for a workbook problem
01:59 Thinking process for a conceptual problem
03:46 What to do?
The study for this video:
Kim, E., & Pak, S. J. (2002). Students do not overcome conceptual difficulties after solving 1000 traditional problems. American Journal of Physics, 70(7), 759-765. (available at sdsu-physics.org/sdsu_per/articles/ProblemS_ConUnderst.pdf)
There is a humorously titled follow-up to this study:
Byun, T., & Lee, G. (2014). Why students still can't solve physics problems after solving over 2000 problems. American Journal of Physics, 82(9), 906-913. (available at aapt.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1119/1.4881606)
Does solving more science problems result in better understanding of science? Not necessarily.
The reason has to do with the distinction between procedural and conceptual knowledge, what kinds of problems call for which kind of knowledge, and how students go about solving the problems in the first place.
The example I draw from here looks at physics, but the same principles apply to other scientific problem-solving situations.
Join my online learning community: benjaminkeep.com/community
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Study results
01:03 Thinking process for a workbook problem
01:59 Thinking process for a conceptual problem
03:46 What to do?
The study for this video:
Kim, E., & Pak, S. J. (2002). Students do not overcome conceptual difficulties after solving 1000 traditional problems. American Journal of Physics, 70(7), 759-765. (available at sdsu-physics.org/sdsu_per/articles/ProblemS_ConUnderst.pdf)
There is a humorously titled follow-up to this study:
Byun, T., & Lee, G. (2014). Why students still can't solve physics problems after solving over 2000 problems. American Journal of Physics, 82(9), 906-913. (available at aapt.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1119/1.4881606)
