One well researched framework was provided by Schoenfeld (1985), who organised
his work on mathematical problem solving under four headings: the resources of
mathematical knowledge and skills that the student brings to the task, the heuristic
strategies that that the student can use in solving problems, the monitoring and
control that the student exerts on the problem solving process to guide it in
productive directions, and the beliefs that the student holds about mathematics, which
enable or disable problem solving attempts. McLeod (1992) has supplemented this
view by expounding on the important of affect in mathematical problem solving.