Problem solving is a common activit

Problem solving is a common activity in chemistry class, and a large part of the teaching-learning time is devoted
to it. The importance of problem solving is significant from various perspectives. Problem solving has been included
in official academic curricula as a scientific procedure on an identical level as observation and experimentation.
Problem solving also plays a remarkable role in textbooks, in which the presence of exercises and problems is
significant. There are even specialised manuals and volumes entirely dedicated to the resolution of problems
(particularly at the secondary and university levels). Various studies have shown in their results that according to
science teachers, problems constitute a basic objective in students' learning (Campanario, 2002; Garret, 1988).
Consequently, problem solving is one of the most frequently used tools for summative evaluation, both inside and
outside the classroom (external evaluations). There are also many examples of research on alternative ideas of
students who use problems as a privileged context to “jump start” their scientific reasoning. For these reasons,
problem solving has been a primary field of research in science teaching for some time (Gil, Carrascosa, Furío, &
Martínez-Torregrosa, 1991). Therefore, in the first handbook of research in teaching and learning sciences, six out
of nineteen chapters address problem solving in science (Gabel, 1994). Many articles (Ashmore, Frazer, & Casey,1979; Cooper, Cox, Nammouz, Case, & Stevens, 2008; Cracolice, Deming, & Ehlert, 2008; Domin & Bodner, 2012;
Noh, Jeon, & Huffman, 2005) and books have been published at the international level, including some in Spanish
(Carrascosa & Martínez, 1997; Perales, 2000), and many doctoral theses are dedicated to this topic (MartínezTorregrosa, 1987; Ramírez, 1990; Varela, 1994). This scenario shows that much effort has been expended in science
teaching and related fields, particularly psychology, to explore the complex process of problem solving and obtain
conclusions applicable to teaching and learning. In reviewing the recent history of research in this field, it is obvious
that over previous decades, several theoretical and methodological influential changes have occurred (Good &
Smith, 1987). These changes, which are closely related to one another, can be divided into the following: changes
regarding the type of problems that are analysed (what is a good problem for the research/learning of science),
changes regarding the context in which the research is conducted (what is good problem-solving for a science
problem) and changes regarding the psychological theories underlying these studies (how we think about learning
how to solve chemistry problems).