Evidence is accumulating that the means-ends problem-solving strategies used conventionally by novice problem solvers are relatively ineffective as vehicles for the acquisition of schemata characteristic of experts. We suggest that a means-ends strategy places a heavy load on cognitive processing capacity and that this load retards knowledge acquisition. A series of three experiments using trigonometry problems was carried out in which the problem goal was modified with the intention of disrupting the strategy used by novices. It was hypothesized that development of adequate cognitive representations of the sine, cosine, and tangent ratios would be enhanced as a consequence. Our results indicated that preventing novice problem solvers from using meansends analysis resulted in fewer mathematical errors both during acquisition and on subsequent problems including transfer problems. This provided some evidence for our contention that a means-ends strategy places a heavy load on cognitive processing capacity, which retards knowledge acquisition.

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