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2 references
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- Vol 1 RE: Chapters 2, 4, 5, 6, App B
- Vol 1 TE: App A
expertise in problem solvingdomain-specific knowledgeproblem representationdeep structural principlesqualitative analysisknowledge schemassurface-feature recognitionBook chapter Evidence summaryAt a glance
Chi, Glaser, and Rees synthesise research on expertise in problem solving, with particular attention to how knowledge is organised and used. Experts do not merely possess more facts or apply a general superior reasoning ability.
Key ideas
They recognise meaningful patterns, represent problems through deep domain principles, retrieve connected procedures efficiently, and use qualitative analysis to constrain a solution before calculating. Their advantages are largely domain-specific and arise from extensive structured knowledge and experience. Novices more often attend to surface features, search less selectively, and lack schemas that connect conditions with productive actions. Expertise can also bring limitations when familiar patterns are applied rigidly.
Why it matters
For educators, the chapter supports developing richly connected disciplinary knowledge, comparing surface-diverse problems with common structures, modelling problem representation and planning, and giving learners varied practice that helps them recognise when and why a principle applies.
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- Vol 1 RE: Chapters 6, 11, App A
physics problem categorizationproblem representationexpert-novice differencessurface featuresunderlying principlessolution structuresdisciplinary knowledge organizationJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Chi, Feltovich, and Glaser compare how physics experts and novices categorise and represent mechanics problems.
Key ideas
In sorting and think-aloud studies, experts grouped problems by underlying principles and solution structures, such as conservation of energy or Newton's laws. Novices relied more heavily on literal surface features, such as whether a problem mentioned an inclined plane, spring, or pulley. The difference was not simply the amount of knowledge: experts' categories activated connected conceptual and procedural knowledge that guided solution planning, while novice representations often lacked this organisation. Surface cues can still affect experts, and developing expertise is gradual.
Why it matters
For educators, the findings support teaching students to identify governing principles before selecting equations, comparing problems with different contexts but common structures, explaining categorisation decisions, and using sorting tasks to reveal how learners organise disciplinary knowledge.
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Edition abbreviations
- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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