Examining the Challenges Encountered when Implementing Problem-Based Learning in the Middle School Classroom

1. Examining the Challenges Encountered when Implementing Problem-Based Learning in the Middle School Classroom Sung Hee Park (park32@purdue.edu) Monica Lee (lee146@purdue.edu) Jay Blackman (jay@purdue.edu) Brian Belland (bbelland@purdue.edu)

2. Background • Tech-Know-Build Project • Funded by a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant (2000-2005) • Goal • To help move to a more student-centered classroom • To help students develop the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that they will need to be successful in the 21st Century • Partnership between Purdue University, Crawfordsville School Corporation, IUPUI, and Indianapolis Public Schools Indianapolis Public Schools/ IUPUI

3. Purpose of the Study • To identify the challenges that middle school teachers face when planning, designing, and implementing problem-based learning • To propose possible solutions that could help to overcome these challenges

4. Literature Review • One meaningful technology use • A constructive teaching philosophy (Berg, Benz, Lasley, & Raisch, 1998) • Student-centered learning beliefs (Becker & Riel, 1999) • Problem-based learning (PBL) • A student-centered method of instruction in which students learn content and problem-solving skills while solving ill-structured, real-world problems • The role of technology in PBL • Critical role in information searching, modeling task or content decision-making, and presenting solutions (Sage, 2000)

5. Literature Review (cont’d) Performance support system • Assumption: • Various components within an individual teacher’s work environment • Combined to support teachers’ practices in the classroom • A more holistic view of the supports needed for teachers Knowledge & Skills Vision Capacity to Do Motivation & Self Concept Tools & Environment Feedback & Expectations Rewards & Incentives School Culture Adapted from Wedman & Graham , 2001

6. Overall Procedure Step 1 • Challenges • School culture • Knowledge & skills • Capacity to do • Motivation & self-concept • Tools & environment • Feedback & expectations • Rewards & incentives Step 2 Possible solutions for the challenges Step 3

7. Data Collection • Classroom observation • 6 teachers, 13 class hours observations • Based on “Model of PBL Practices” • Survey: 21 teachers (Questionnaire) • Interview • Administrative: Superintendent, Principal, Project Manager • PBL support faculty (2) • Teachers (8) • Tech Staff (2)

8. Results: Observation Identified differences in PBL practices between experienced PBL teachers and other teachers • Pedagogical approach: Student-centered approach • Have students self-evaluate and reflect on the problem-solving process • Example • Project journaling, project progress report, etc. • Technology usage • Provide a set of advanced techniques • Examples • Teach Boolean function for better online search results, • Evaluate the quality of resources • Insert multi-media components in PowerPoint

9. Results: Observation (cont’d) • Planning and organizing • Effectively organize different PBL stages (i.e. problem formation, data collection, brainstorming solution, selecting solutions, and evaluating solutions) • Prepare performance-based evaluation methods (i.e. rubrics, observation) • Create project schedules and milestones (i.e. Check overall schedule frequently) • Classroom management skills • Examples • Specify group participation points in the final evaluation • Provide clear guidelines and direction • Collaboration • Collaborate with other teachers (e.g., Teach a PBL unit with another teacher) • Professional development • Attend a professional conference

10. Results: Survey • Teachers identified challenges as being in the following order of importance:

11. Results: Interview with Administrators • Vision • Faculty: use of PBL to make pedagogical change • Administration: use of technology • Relative importance of challenges

12. Results: Interview with Teachers • Vision - Expressed concerns in vision-sharing • “I’m not sure what they are trying to accomplish.” • Knowledge & Skills – Expressed concerns on lack of knowledge and skills • “I still don’t know what I’m doing or if I’m doing it right.” • Motivation & Self-concept – For student excitement as well as a requirement • “I like to watch them get excited about what they are doing.” • “If my boss says to do it, I do it.”

13. Results: Interview with Teachers (cont’d) • Tools & Environment – Teachers would like to have: • Preparation time (individual and team) • More technology support • Better PBL classroom management skills (leading and guiding) • Feedback & Expectations • Many teachers mentioned not receiving feedback “I don’t think I get any feedback.” • A few said self reflection and peer evaluation • Rewards & Incentives – Benefits of PBL • Students: Increased curiosity about the world and desire to learn more “What is neat is that at the end of these PBL units they usually have more questions than answers.” • Teachers: Professional growth, makes their job fun • Some did not recognize available rewards & incentives

14. Results: Final Rank of the Challenges

15. Recommendation Some of the possible changes that we think will help teachers overcome the challenges are: • Set a clear overall goal for the project and share it among people involved in the project • Provide more consistent feedback to teachers • Increase collaboration among teachers to utilize experienced teachers’ knowledge and skills • Increase awareness of the awards and incentives available for teachers

16. Conclusion • It is our belief that it will require change • not only on the individual level • but also on the organizational level of schools to more smoothly implement problem-based learning in the Crawfordsville School Corporation

17. Model of PBL Practices

18. Model of PBL Practices (cont’d)

19. Survey Questionnaire