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XChange - Publications and Resources for Public School Professionals

Project-Based Learning for
Centering Student Voice in STEM

INTRODUCTION

Over the years, we have learned much about how people learn best. While traditional direct instruction dominated teaching in the past, today, we understand that there is no one-size-fits-all model for teaching and there are many teaching approaches to meet the diverse learning needs of our students. Project-Based Learning, PBL, is a teaching approach where student agency, choice, and content knowledge are applied to engage in real-world issues students care about. PBL was introduced in the 1960s as a learning and teaching approach in medical education, where medical students engaged in problem-based tasks in groups. The PBL approach is consistent with several learning theories, including John Dewey’s idea of learning by doing, the social constructivist theory of learning with peers, and Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory. 

At Center X we believe that transforming public schooling entails liberatory education that empowers students as agents of change. For this issue of the Center XChange, we examine how PBL supports student-centered approaches to teaching and learning. PBL for equity encourages educators to see their students as capable problem solvers and give students choice and voice.

THE BRIEFING ROOM

This section gives a general overview of how the UCLA Teacher Education Program (TEP) prepares secondary mathematics and science teacher candidates on PBL and equity. In Understanding How Pre-Service Teachers Learn PBL for Social Justice, teacher educators learn that all educators, including pre-service teachers, can engage in PBL with their students, given the right types of community of collaborators, mentors, and supports.

XPRESS

This section contains academic writings that document what classroom teachers do to reimagine teaching and learning to center equity and student voice.

TEACHER WORKROOM

This section contains PBL projects TEP students and alum classroom teachers do with their students to reimagine teaching and learning in secondary STEM classrooms to center equity and student voice.

Briefing Room