Education Commons^™

Problem-Based Learning As A Model For The Interior Design Classroom: Bridging The Skills Divide Between Academia And Practice, Gregory Galford, Susan Hawkins, Mark Hertweck

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

The addition of problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy to studio-based learning (SBL) environments may help bridge the divide between traditional design education and initial postgraduate jobs. This paper demonstrates how one instructor adapted a PBL model to the interior design studio, including planning, execution, and evaluation. The relationship between PBL and SBL is explored. Two realistic design problems were created for use by interior design students who participated in PBL sessions. All of the groups adequately answered the client’s design programmatic needs. Students learned to perform as team members, including how to collaborate and compromise while working toward an effective design …

An Introduction To The Standards For Preparation And Professional Development For Teachers Of Engineering, Jackson E. Reimers, Cheryl L. Farmer, Stacy S. Klein-Gardner

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The past 30 years have yielded a mature body of research regarding effective professional development for teachers of science and mathematics, leading to a robust selection of professional development programs for these teachers. The current emphasis on connections among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics underscores the need for similar research into the nature of effective professional development for teachers of engineering. With this in mind, this paper completes a review of the literature concerning effective professional development for teachers of engineering, both as a unique discipline and as a context for teaching and learning in other subjects. The results of …

Editor's Introduction, Michael M. Grant

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study On How Health Professional Students And Their Pbl Facilitators Perceive The Use Of Mobile Devices During Pbl, Lap Ki Chan, Susan M. Bridges, Iain Doherty, Manwa L. Ng, Jun Jin, Neel Sharma, Nam Kiu Chan, Henrietta Yan Yu Lai

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Mobile devices are increasingly being used by undergraduate students to access online information in the problem-based learning (PBL) process, initially in the self-directed phase, and more recently within face-to-face tutorials. This qualitative study across three undergraduate health professional programs used semi-structured interviews to investigate facilitators’ and students’ perceptions of mobile device usage in PBL tutorials. Transcribed interviews were analyzed thematically, drawing on the principles of grounded theory. Implications for future practice were identified. Students perceived that mobile devices are useful and convenient for instant access to various sources of information, for note taking, and for visually sharing their research and …

The Positive Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Attendance Of An Economically Disadvantaged Student Population: A Multiyear Study, Casey Creghan, Kathleen Adair-Creghan

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Students who do not regularly attend high school are at an increased risk of failure in the classroom and may eventually contribute to a higher dropout rate. More specifically, the attendance rates of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have traditionally been lower than those with average means. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effects of a project-based learning (PjBL) environment on economically disadvantaged high school students in regard to their attendance rates. Data were collected in order to compare attendance rates of a school utilizing traditional teaching methodologies with a school using PjBL as the …

Lessons Learned: Insights Into One Teacher’S Experience Working With Karen Refugee Students In The United States, Daniel J. Gilhooly

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

This study is informed by funds of knowledge and culturally responsive teaching studies that aim to explore and legitimize the cultural knowledge immigrant children bring to their communities and schools. Consequently, this paper specifically addresses issues related to the educational experiences of Karen children and their parents from one American teacher/researcher who has worked with the Karen for the past four years. In aggregate, this paper addresses issues germane to Karen education including; (1) background information on Karen educational experiences prior to resettlement, including a review of their journey from Thailand to the U.S.; (2) important characteristics of Karen culture; …

Driven By Beliefs: Understanding Challenges Physical Science Teachers Face When Integrating Engineering And Physics, Emily A. Dare, Joshua A. Ellis, Gillian H. Roehrig

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

It is difficult to ignore the increased use of technological innovations in today’s world, which has led to various calls for the integration of engineering into K-12 science standards. The need to understand how engineering is currently being brought to science classrooms is apparent and necessary in order to address these calls for integration. This multiphase, mixed-methods study investigated the classroom practices and beliefs of high school physical science teachers following an intensive professional development on physics and engineering integration.

Classroom observations showed that teachers new to incorporating engineering into their physical science classrooms often struggled to maintain focus on …

Design Practices Of Preservice Elementary Teachers In An Integrated Engineering And Literature Experience, Kristen Bethke Wendell

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

The incorporation of engineering practices and core ideas into the Next Generation Science Standards at the elementary school level provides exciting opportunities but also raises important questions about the preparation of new elementary teachers. Both the teacher education and engineering education communities have a limited literature base on the resources that novice elementary teachers bring to learning and teaching engineering. The purpose of this descriptive exploratory research study was to characterize the design practices used by preservice elementary teachers during an integrated engineering and literature experience. Using a modification of the Design Activity Coding Scheme (Atman et al., 2007), we …

Assessing The Role Of Online Technologies In Project-Based Learning, Jason Ravitz, Juliane Blazevski

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This study examines the relationships between teacher-reported use of online resources, and preparedness, implementation challenges, and time spent implementing project- or problem-based learning, or approaches that are similar to what we call “PBL” in general. Variables were measured using self-reports from those who teach in reform network high schools that emphasize PBL approaches (n = 166) and those who do not (n = 164). In both school types, technology use was positively related to the amount of PBL use and teacher preparedness. We used path analysis (two-group SEM) to test a model that predicted online technology use in the context …

Editors' Introduction, Jiyoon Jung, Michael M. Grant

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Comparing Technology-Supported Teacher Education Curricular Models For Enhancing Statistical Content Knowledge, Dionne Cross Francis, Rick Hudson, Crystal Vesperman, Arnulfo Perez

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Recent calls have been made to enhance and extend the statistical experiences of K-12 students. However, to ensure that such goals are met, teachers also need to develop deep conceptual understanding and pedagogical content knowledge that are essential to statistical thinking and reasoning. In this regard, over the past two decades, leading thinkers and professional organizations had advocated that teaching and curricula should be focused and organized around problem solving. In this paper we describe three such technology-supported curricula—a project-based learning (PjBL) unit, problem-solving activities (PS) unit, and a model-eliciting activities (MEA) unit—that align with this perspective and discuss the …

An Instructional Model To Support Problem-Based Historical Inquiry: The Persistent Issues In History Network, Thomas Brush, John Saye

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

For over a decade, we have collaborated with secondary school history teachers in an evolving line of inquiry that applies research-based propositions to the design and testing of a problem-based learning framework and a set of wise practices that represent a professional teaching knowledge base for implementing a particular model of instruction, problem-based historical inquiry (PBHI). PBHI centers history instruction on decision-making about persistent societal problems as they occur in particular historical periods. In order to prepare future teachers to be better able to implement this model in their classrooms, we have integrated components of this model throughout our secondary …

Conexiones: Fostering Socioscientific Inquiry In Graduate Teacher Preparation, Krista Glazewski, Michele I. Shuster Phd, Thomas Brush, Andrea Ellis

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Socioscientific Inquiry (SSI) represents one approach designed to target interest and knowledge in science. In this context, students consider scientific issues that have social implications and require a range of trade-offs, concepts, and considerations in order to arrive at informed conclusions (Sadler, 2004). However, inquiry tasks in general and SSI projects in particular are not widely adopted in K-12 settings, despite strong beliefs among teachers that these types of activities are valuable (Marshall, Horton, Igo, & Switzer, 2009). We suggest Collaborative Action Research may provide an important platform for enabling teachers to experience success through systematic investigations of their practice …

The Grand Challenge: Helping Teachers Learn/Teach Cutting-Edge Science Via A Pbl Approach, Peggy A. Ertmer, Sarah Schlosser, Kari Clase, Omolola Adedokun

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

A mixed-methods research study was designed to examine teachers’ knowledge and confidence for implementing a STEM-based problem-based learning (PBL) unit in their 6–12 grade science and math classrooms. Twenty-one teachers (7 in-service and 13 pre-service) participated in an intensive two-week summer workshop during which they engaged in, and then created, an immersive PBL unit related to sustainable energy. Data were collected through a pre-post content knowledge test and two pre-post surveys—one measuring knowledge and confidence for implementing PBL and one measuring science teaching efficacy. Daily reflections and focus group interviews provided additional data regarding teachers’ changing knowledge and confidence related …

Teacher Perspectives Regarding Gifted Diverse Students, Toni Szymanski, Thomas Shaff

Gifted Children

Abstract

Understanding teacher perceptions of diverse, gifted students is a first step to exploring the underrepresentation of non-white students in programs for advanced academic ability. As professionals, teachers are responsible for making referrals for special programming and are often the “gatekeepers” for student identification. This qualitative study used exploratory interviews to examine perceptions of five second- and third-grade teachers and the talented and gifted coordinator at a school in which 65% of the student population was Hispanic. Three themes emerged in the findings: (a) Teachers experience differences in training to work with diverse, low income students and gifted students; (b) …

Determining The Effects Of Pre-College Stem Contexts On Stem Major Choices In 4-Year Postsecondary Institutions Using Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling, Ahlam Lee

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Many STEM studies have focused on traditional learning contexts, such as math- and science-related learning factors, as pre-college learning predictors for STEM major choices in colleges. Few studies have considered a progressive learning activity embedded within STEM contexts. This study chose computer-based learning activities in K-12 math classrooms, as a major pre-college learning predictor for STEM major choices. Using a nationally represented sample drawn from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002/06, the purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to investigate the influence of computer-based learning activities in math classrooms on STEM major choices in 4-year postsecondary institutions and (b) …

Preparing Teachers To Use Problem-Centered, Inquiry-Based Science: Lessons From A Four-Year Professional Development Project, James D. Lehman, Melissa George, Peggy Buchanan, Michael Rush

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Calls for reform in science education stress the need for inquiry-based, integrative methods that provide students with opportunities to solve authentic problems. Project INSITE, a four-year professional development effort in Indiana, was designed to help teachers integrate problem-centered science methods in their classrooms. This approach was characterized by use of a meaningful driving question anchored in a real-world context; student-conducted investigations that resulted in the creation of products; collaboration among students, teachers, and the community; and use of technology as a tool for gathering and sharing information. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations of the project suggest that it was generally successful …

Goals And Strategies Of A Problem-Based Learning Facilitator, Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, Howard S. Barrows

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

This paper describes an analysis of facilitation of a student-centered problem-based learning group. The focus of this analysis was to understand the goals and strategies of an expert facilitator in support of collaborative learning. This was accomplished through interaction analysis using video data and stimulated recall to examine two PBL group meetings. In this paper, we examine how specific strategies were used to support the PBL goals of helping students construct causal explanations, reason effectively, and become self-directed learners while maintaining a student-centered learning process. Being able to articulate these strategies is an important step in helping others learn the …