INERT KNOWLEDGE - WHEN WHAT IS LEARNED IS NOT USED

Knowledge, although seemingly available, is often not used for solving problems, that means, it remains ''inert''. Three types of explanatio ns for this phenomenon can be found in the literature. Meta-process ex planations assume that the relevant knowledge is available, but it is not used because of inadequate meta-processes (e.g., lacking metacogni tive control). Structure deficit explanations suppose that the deficit is rooted in the structure of the knowledge itself, that is, the know ledge is not available in a form that allows for its application. In s ituatedness explanations, the traditional concepts of knowledge and tr ansfer are questioned. One basic assumption is that knowledge is funda mentally situated, that is, context-bound. In recent years, instructio nal models have been developed which try to remedy the inert knowledge problem and which take into account many important aspects that have been focussed in the different types of explanations referred to above . However, in order to reach a sufficient understanding of the inert k nowledge phenomenon, the cooperation of different psychological subdis ciplines is called for.