Abstract:

A high priority, regardless of geographical boundaries, is preparing teachers to work with diverse learners and to engage in complex problems that arise in the classroom and in pedagogy (Putnam & Borko, 2000; Zeichner & Conklin, 2005; Savery, 2006). Teachers and teachers-in-training are confronted with many complex pedagogical problems that require collaboration with their colleagues as they frame the issues, consider multiple perspectives, discuss solutions, contemplate consequences, and reflect on those decisions (Harrington, 1995; Hmelo-Silver, 2000; Leinhardt & Steele, 2005; Mayer & Wittrock, 2006; Bransford, Darling-Hammond, & LePage, 2005). Undoubtedly, teachers have been handed a tall order.

PBL is a comprehensive pedagogical framework that can support teachers in their pedagogical problem solving. PBL is a learner-centered pedagogical approach which afford learners (teachers) with opportunities to engage in goal-directed inquiry. Learners work both collaboratively on complex and authentic problems with others as they engage in analysis and reflection of complex and ill-defined problems (Barrows, 2000; Hmelo-Silver, 2004). At certain points of the PBL process, learners work independently and in a self-directed manner collecting information which is brought back to the group for further discussion and further problem solving. The teacher’s role changes from one of primarily “telling of” information to one that facilitates thinking, reflection, and collaborative inquiry, while the content and content decisions are left up to the students.

However, these skills do not occur spontaneously; teachers need to be guided and supported in the development of problem-solving, self-directed learning, collaboration. In doing so, teachers will also be able to transfer these skills onto their students. In order to prepare teachers in PBL, we need to decide how to implement major pedagogies like PBL so that such can be integrated into teachers’ training and pedagogy. The typical PBL implementation has been the medical model where PBL is implemented from the top-down throughout the entire faculty. Unfortunately, this approach is not always feasible for faculties of education where most members of the faculty resist a top-down approach (Fullan,1992). Thus, alternatives models of PBL implementation such as individual faculty member, cross-institutional, technology-based implementations will be discussed in light of assisting teachers in their preparation.

In addition, we also need to decide what type of guidance and support teachers need to learn PBL and how this guidance and support changes throughout their course of learning (Rodriguez Perez, 2011; Hmelo-Silver, Duncan, and Chinn, 2007; Mayer, 2004). How much guidance and support need to be considered vis-à-vis teachers incoming prior knowledge of content, pedagogy, and curriculum. Consideration of these factors and how to teach complex pedagogy is expected to optimize teachers success at learning and integrating PBL in their pedagogy. Moreover, it also prepares them to use the pedagogy flexibly and adaptively in their diversely populated classrooms.

The aim of this proposed presentation will be to discuss: one, approaches to helping teachers integrate and implement PBL; and two, ways of providing guidance and support so that they will be able to succeed in the many pedagogical challenges with which they are confronted.