Two important goals of introductory physics courses are that students will (1) understand basic physics concepts and (2) develop problem-solving skills [1,2]. These two objectives are often treated separately on diagnostic tests or course exams, and little attention is given to their integration - the role that conceptual knowledge plays in problem solving.
In the current study, we refined an instructional intervention called Conceptual Problem Solving (CPS). CPS encourages students to perform a strategic analysis of a problem based on principles and procedures before writing down equations. The approach was implemented in first semester mechanics classes at four high schools in the fall of 2009. Each school had a control class (either the same teacher or a different teacher) in which problem solving was taught using traditional methods. In the sections that follow, we give a brief overview of the background research for Conceptual Problem Solving, describe the components of CPS in greater detail, and present information about its implementation and assessment in the four high schools.