After decades of research, we now know that creativity is a multidimensional construct that involves variables from the domains of personality, environment, and cognition. A construct with such level of complexity, as we know from past research, cannot be effectively learned through traditional lecture-based instruction. Rather, the formation of…

One essential piece of implementing of PBL is the problem. There have been calls from practitioners in the PBL field for a systematic process for designing effective PBL problems. Yet, the research efforts to explore, develop, and test PBL problem design methods or processes are still sparse. From an instructional designer and researcher's…

Some researchers have argued that the design of problems used in a Problem-based Learning (PBL) course or curriculum could have an impact on student learning cognitively or psychologically, such as students' self-directed learning process or engagement. To investigate the relationship between PBL problem design and students' self-directed learning…

The struggles new teachers face represent not only the gap between theories and reality, but also the psychological transition from the role of student to teacher. This transition process is often overwhelming and frustrating for most new teachers. Traditional instructional methods have seemed to fail to prepare them for the real-world classrooms.…

The success of an intervention depends not only upon its theoretical soundness, but also on proper implementation that reflects the guidelines derived from its theoretical conception. Debates surrounding the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) have focused on its theoretical conception and students' learning outcomes, but implementation…

The design of problems is crucial for the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL). Research has shown that PBL problems have not always been effective. Ineffective PBL problems could affect whether students acquire sufficient domain knowledge, activate appropriate prior knowledge, and properly direct their own learning. This paper builds on…

Engaging primary and elementary students in meaningful, relevant science learning is challenging. PBL is an instructional approach that provides a means to foster meaningful science learning while enhancing teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This paper reports on the experiences of a teacher inquiry group consisting of five teachers…

In this study, five elementary teachers and a university researcher developed and implemented problem-based learning (PBL) experiences in the context of science teaching and learning. Collaborative inquiry was adopted as a methodology, while a variety of qualitative methods were used to examine the engagement and development of teachers'…