Principlev1
When learning fails repeatedly despite effort, trace
When learning fails repeatedly despite effort, trace backward through prerequisite chains to find the missing foundation rather than pushing harder on the target skill.
Why This Is a Principle
This principle follows from axioms about unreliable self-assessment (Illusion of Explanatory Depth), domain-specific expertise requiring proper schemas (Expertise as Domain-Specific Schema Organization), and equilibration through accommodation (Piagetian Equilibration Through Schema Dynamics). It prescribes diagnostic action rather than describing the structure of knowledge itself.