The effectiveness of problem-solving instruction in promoting high school students' acquisition, retention, and structuring of economics knowledge was studied through six economics classes. The problem-solving instruction model was developed based on problem-based learning in medical education, following similar work by H. S. Barrows and R. M. Tamblyn (1980). Following a two-class pilot study, 80 students in the problem-solving curriculum and 83 in the expository treatment group were taught concepts related to productivity. A knowledge-acquisition instrument and a knowledge-structure instrument were administered. Analysis of covariance and independent t-tests were used to analyze data. No meaningful differences were found between the two instructional treatment groups in either acquisition or knowledge structuring, but limitations in the instruments and attrition in the sample make it impossible to judge the effects of the problem-solving treatment fully. The major significance of the study is the effort to initiate empirical investigation from a cognitive-psychological perspective. Results also suggest that effective acquisition of history and social studies knowledge and the development of higher cognitive skills are compatible and practically feasible. (Contains 40 references.) (SLD)