This dissertation focuses on implementing problem-based learning as an instructional intervention in a middle school civics classroom. This action research study responds to the observations of the teacher-researcher who noticed that her students were not make meaningful connections to the practice of citizenship. The problem of practice was…

Education has begun to look beyond the traditional methods of didactic teaching, lectures, and clinical based instruction within their program curricula to address the gap between theoretical and real-life situations (Walker, Langton & Thomson, 2011). Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been seen as an alternative method of instruction that is…

The purpose of the investigation was to determine if there was a difference in student performance on the NYS Mathematics State Assessment between schools that implemented PBL versus those that did not. The aim was also to determine if there was a difference in students' and teachers' attitudes about the school community, specifically in rigorous…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of instruction that challenges students to answer questions in a practical manner using their understanding of learned course content. The question at the heart of this study concerns if and how faculty in one institution are currently using PBL. I used an exploratory descriptive case study to research the…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been implemented to encourage students to learn through problem-solving in the KSA. However, this method does not address students' capability to apply the knowledge learned and a new learning approach are needed. The current study examined the effects of using a station rotation strategy on students' achievement,…

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to determine if, and to what extent, technology-enhanced problem-based formative assessment instruction would have an impact on college students' algebra learning and development of critical thinking skills, when compared to traditional classroom instruction in a first-year college…

More than 85% of federally funded research initiatives fail to produce significant positive results (Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, 2013). Moreover, of the less than 15% that do yield positive results, none show replicability outside of their original setting (Pogrow, 2017; Kizilcec et al., 2020). Mixed results are present in even the most…

Collaborative learning designs, such as problem-based learning (PBL), have the potential to help students build valuable team-based professional skills needed for life after schooling within higher-educational settings (Desimone, 2009; Savery, 2006); however, motivating students to work together to successfully achieve outcomes often proves…

The present dissertation in practice (DiP) proposal delineates an action research study designed to evaluate the use of problem-based learning (PBL) in an eighth-grade earth science class to assess the impact of PBL on student achievement. I have observed that students often struggle with developing an understanding of how the motions of the sun,…

Problem: Several reviews of literature have been completed to formalize the PBL approach (Alacapinar, 2008; Baines & DeBarger, 2017; Bell, 2010; Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Condliffe et al., 2017; English, 2013; Holm, 2011; Holmes, 2012; Kokotsaki et al., 2016; Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006; Lam, Cheng, & Choy, 2010; Lee et al., 2014;…

"Place-based education" refers to pedagogy that connects student learning with the local environment and students' lives. Educators' preoccupation with standardized test scores have increased the disconnect between formal education and student's life experiences. Schools have developed systems of learning in isolated subjects through…

Previous qualitative research on educational practices designed to improve critical thinking has relied on anecdotal or student self-reports of gains in critical thinking. Unfortunately, student self-report data have been found to be unreliable proxies for measuring critical thinking gains. Therefore, in the current interpretivist study, five…

This descriptive and exploratory case study focused on a specific Content-Based Language Teaching (CBLT) curriculum within the context of higher education in China. The researcher investigated the rationale behind the current design and students' and teachers' perceptions about the curriculum, as well as, their perceived motivations and challenges…

Dietetics graduates have been argued to enter supervised professional practice, or a Dietetic Internship, with deficient clinical reasoning skills. Some researchers have suggested that one factor contributing to deficient clinical reasoning skills has been the fragmented course sequencing of a traditional dietetics curriculum, with multiple…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather data on the scaffolding a facilitator developed and used for learners during a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) setting. The study explored how the learners developed their ability to share their understanding and current knowledge by solving the presented real-world problem through investigation…