Today, formal schooling is the primary method of instruction. While formal schooling excels at teaching conceptual and factual knowledge, it falls short when teaching complex, cognitive skills. Therefore, the authors propose an alternative method of instruction: cognitive apprenticeship, a synthesis of formal schooling and traditional apprenticeship. In formal schooling, the processes of thinking are often invisible to both the student and the teacher (i.e. comprehending an essay); in traditional apprenticeship, the expert makes the processes of the learning activity visible to the apprentice (i.e. a master carpenter demonstrates the use of a lathe). The goal of cognitive apprenticeship is to make the thinking processes of a learning activity visible to both the students and the teacher. The teacher is then able to employ the methods of traditional apprenticeship (modeling, coaching, scaffolding, and fading) to effectively guide student learning.

The basic methods of cognitive apprenticeship have been successfully applied to teaching in the domains of reading, writing, and mathematics. For example, Palicsar and Brown's reciprocal teaching method makes the thought processes involved in reading comprehension visible by requiring that students verbally summarize the text, clarify confusing points, formulate questions, and make predictions about the text. The teacher models these processes before turning the role of "teacher" over to students. The teacher then coaches and scaffolds students' efforts, gradually fading as they become more proficient in their reading comprehension skills. In addition, the authors believe that the theoretical issues on which cognitive apprenticeship is based can be used to design more effective learning environments through modifications to teaching content, methodology, sequencing, and sociology.

Formal schooling can benefit from cognitive apprenticeship when faced with the difficulties of teaching complex, cognitive skills such as reading comprehension, essay writing, and mathematical problem solving. Not only does cognitive apprenticeship lead to students' greater understanding of the material, it also combats "inert knowledge," helping them to apply their knowledge and skills in novel situations.