An Evaluation of Project Based Learning Implementation in STEM
-An Executive Summary-
Why don’t more students like science?
Could the method
we use to teach
science make a
difference?
Evidence suggests that:
Students exposed to real-world science at a young age are more likely to love science.
Students that love science are more likely to pursue science-oriented careers.
Many schools have initiated programs to use Project Based Learning (PBL) as a way to spark more interest in science and other school subjects.
What is Project Based Learning?
Project based learning is a method of teaching that delivers subject content as students realize that they need to know it in order to continue along the path of solving a long-term, real-world problem, question, or challenge. During the process, students integrate subject content knowledge with 21st Century Skills. This project utilized the work done by the Buck Institute of Education in educating teachers to perform high-quality PBL instruction.
To Succeed Teachers Need Support:
Although teachers will likely receive professional development in PBL during a change initiative, they cannot become experts immediately. Teachers will need ongoing support and time to become expert teachers of PBL.
My research looked at a science department in a small suburban high school during its transition to more PBL instruction.
The goal is to assist all science teachers in the organization to develop and implement high-quality PBL units of study within one academic year.
Question 1: To what extent were teachers already designing and implementing “Gold Standard PBL” as defined by the Buck Institute of Education?
Only one third of all science teachers showed evidence of high-quality PBL planning documentation (PBL development). This indicates a need to assist the remaining two-thirds of teachers with planning high-quality PBL units.
Only one out of seven observed science teachers showed evidence of high-quality PBL delivery (PBL implementation). This indicates a need to assist the remaining teachers with high-quality implementation of PBL.
Question 2: What are the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences impacting teacher performance?
Question 3: Based on the influences, what are the recommendations to assist teachers to design and implement high-quality PBL units?
