PS-I instructional designs can improve conceptual understanding and transfer when design principles are met¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Results from PS-I studies suggest the design improves conceptual understanding and transfer if certain design principles are met, especially in mathematics and science. → Katharina Loibl 2025

Evidence¶

Katharina Loibl 2025¶

Katharina Loibl, Valentina Nachtigall, Timo Leuders. (2025). Advances in research on composite instructional designs – investigating intermediate knowledge and preparation effects. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-025-09751-6

q2 · i? · review · r2

The editorial's narrative synthesis of prior PS-I studies reports that the design "can improve conceptual understanding" and transfer, with effectiveness especially demonstrated for domain-specific learning in mathematics and science. No effect sizes are printed.

"Overall, the results from PS-I studies suggest that this instructional design can improve conceptual understanding (DeCaro & Rittle-Johnson, 2012; Kapur, 2012, 2014; Kapur & Bielaczyc, 2012; Loibl & Rummel, 2014a, b) and transfer"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• PS-I research demonstrates beneficial effects on conceptual knowledge and knowledge transfer relative to I-PS — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• PS-I sequence outperforms I-PS on conceptual knowledge only when instruction builds on student solutions — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Productive Failure Improves Conceptual Learning — a broader claim this one bears on
• PS-I fosters learning only if specific design features (contrasting cases or building instruction on student solutions) are implemented — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• In a Bayesian-reasoning replication, problem-solving prior to instruction (PS-I) showed no significant advantage over instruction-first (I-PS) on conceptual knowledge — reports the opposite
• In PS-I, prompting students to generate multiple strategies during the initial phase generally outperformed inventing one strategy or I-PS — a narrower finding that bears on this claim