For biochemistry students with relatively higher topic-specific prior knowledge, instruction-first (I-PS) outperformed problem-solving-first (PS-I) on a near-transfer test¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? Biochemistry students randomly assigned to I-PS scored significantly higher than PS-I students on the near-transfer post-test, controlling for prior knowledge. → Cheng-Wen He 2025
Evidence¶
Cheng-Wen He 2025¶
Cheng-Wen He, Logan Fiorella, Paula P. Lemons. (2025). Does Instruction-First or Problem-Solving-First Depend on Learners' Prior Knowledge? Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-09993-3
q3 · i? · causal · r2
Randomized classroom experiment with 138 biochemistry students assigned to I-PS (n=64) or PS-I (n=74), analyzed with ANCOVA controlling for prior knowledge test score. The results indicated that I-PS students "significantly outperformed the PS-I students" on near transfer, supporting the cognitive load hypothesis.
"the I-PS students ( M = 10.72,SD = 5.34 ) significantly outperformed the PS-I students ( M=9 .47,SD = 4.88 ) on the near-transfer test, F(1,136) = 4.51 , p = .036"
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Productive Failure Improves Conceptual Learning — reports the opposite
- No significant interaction between condition and pre-test knowledge on learning outcomes in either topic — related
- In Experiment 2, I-PS students outperformed PS-I students on problem-solving, idea generation, and embedded video quizzes — related
- In Experiment 1, I-PS students solved the initial problem better but PS-I students learned more from the subsequent instructional video — related
- For introductory biology students with low topic-specific prior knowledge, problem-solving-first (PS-I) outperformed instruction-first (I-PS) on a near-transfer test — reports the opposite
- Order of worked examples and problem solving had no significant effect on application and transfer scores in experimental design or graphing — related
- Prior knowledge strongly predicts post-test application and transfer scores in both topics — related
- PS-I research demonstrates beneficial effects on conceptual knowledge and knowledge transfer relative to I-PS — reports the opposite
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
i-ps-beats-ps-i-near-transfer-higher-prior-knowledge |
title |
For biochemistry students with relatively higher topic-specific prior knowledge, instruction-first (I-PS) outperformed problem-solving-first (PS-I) on a near-transfer test |
description |
For biochemistry students with relatively higher topic-specific prior knowledge, instruction-first (I-PS) outperformed problem-solving-first (PS-I) on a near-transfer test |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2025 |
source_checked |
2026-10-20 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-19 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — cheng-wen-he-2025 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.