Chapter Two: Theoretical Basis of Project Based Learning This professional development project was intended to prepare a research supported staff development presentation that sheds light on the impact Project Based Learning (PBL) has on student learning when it is implemented as a mode of instruction, and how PBL can be implemented by teachers given the constraints of time, high stakes testing, and strict scope and sequence adherence. The literature review will provide evolving definition of PBL with a brief history. Teachers will understand Gold Standard PBL and considerations for PBL implementation. As with any pedagogy, PBL is not without challenges. Some teachers find it difficult to select topics of study that incorporate the required
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PBL is defined to reflect the changing times in politics and education of an era (Buck Institute of Education, 2008). The essence of PBL is captured precisely when Kilpatrick (1918) defined it as “a whole–hearted purposeful activity in a social environment” (as cited in Peterson, 2012, p. 2). Licht (2014) defined PBL as “a dynamic [teaching technique] in which students explore real–world problems and challenges” (pp. 49–50). According to Chard (2001), PBL is an in–depth investigation of a real–world topic worthy of children’s attention and effort (as cited in Cutis, 2002, p. 50). In another definition, Coffey (2008) stated that “PBL is systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks” (p. 1). While there is no one accepted definition of PBL, it has evolved into that of Coffey’s, to include a continuum from brief projects that last few days in a single subject classroom to yearlong interdisciplinary projects (Larmer, Mergendoller, & Boss, …show more content…
PBL is not a novel attempt to redesign how we educate learners. Advanced students at the academies of architecture in Rome and Paris worked on given problems such as, designing a monument, fountain or palace during the 16th century. Between 1765 and 1880, PBL became a regular teaching method at newly established engineering schools in Europe, and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Knoll, 1997). PBL, as we know it today, is rooted in the progressivist philosophy of John Dewey and was popularized by William H. Kilpatrick in the 19th century (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). Progressivists rejected traditional education characterized by rote learning and teacher–centered lesson delivery and instead, focused on the learner and emphasized cooperative group learning activities and experiences that teach how to think, not what to think (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). Although the practice of progressive education ideology experienced a decline in the 1940s and 1950s with the advent essentialism, it has resurged in the past 25 years as PBL due to two salient
PBL is defined to reflect the changing times in politics and education of an era (Buck Institute of Education, 2008). The essence of PBL is captured precisely when Kilpatrick (1918) defined it as “a whole–hearted purposeful activity in a social environment” (as cited in Peterson, 2012, p. 2). Licht (2014) defined PBL as “a dynamic [teaching technique] in which students explore real–world problems and challenges” (pp. 49–50). According to Chard (2001), PBL is an in–depth investigation of a real–world topic worthy of children’s attention and effort (as cited in Cutis, 2002, p. 50). In another definition, Coffey (2008) stated that “PBL is systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks” (p. 1). While there is no one accepted definition of PBL, it has evolved into that of Coffey’s, to include a continuum from brief projects that last few days in a single subject classroom to yearlong interdisciplinary projects (Larmer, Mergendoller, & Boss, …show more content…
PBL is not a novel attempt to redesign how we educate learners. Advanced students at the academies of architecture in Rome and Paris worked on given problems such as, designing a monument, fountain or palace during the 16th century. Between 1765 and 1880, PBL became a regular teaching method at newly established engineering schools in Europe, and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Knoll, 1997). PBL, as we know it today, is rooted in the progressivist philosophy of John Dewey and was popularized by William H. Kilpatrick in the 19th century (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). Progressivists rejected traditional education characterized by rote learning and teacher–centered lesson delivery and instead, focused on the learner and emphasized cooperative group learning activities and experiences that teach how to think, not what to think (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). Although the practice of progressive education ideology experienced a decline in the 1940s and 1950s with the advent essentialism, it has resurged in the past 25 years as PBL due to two salient