Problem solving is central to physics instruction. Results from Physics Education
Research (PER), however, demonstrate that traditional ways of teaching with
problem solving are inefficient and ineffective for promoting true physics
expertise. PER findings give rise to a perspective on physics expertise, learning,
and problem solving that can illuminate the reasons why problem solving in
traditional instruction fares poorly and suggest remedies. At the heart of the
remedies lies a rethinking of the instructional model in which teachers focus less
on presenting subject material and more on engineering learning experiences and
guiding students’ learning efforts, while students strive to become active, selfmonitoring
constructors of knowledge