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I am researching how project-based learning affects student achievement in the energy unit for 7th grade physical science.

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Summary: Project Based Learning & Student Achievement

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Summary: Project Based Learning & Student Achievement

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Sally Kingston, PhD of the Buck Institute for Education put together a brief based on the most widespread question the Institute receives about project based learning (PBL), “what evidence exists that shows the impact of Project Based Learning on student learning in core content areas?” (Kingston, 2018). Ms. Kingston reviewed 20 studies for the brief and concluded that there is much research to support the use of PBL but also that, “more research is needed to show causality between PBL and student outcomes” (Kingston, 2018). She truthfully notes some PBL weaknesses such as, “lack of experimental studies, varying fidelity of PBL, implementation challenges, and lack of validity and reliability of measures” (Kingston, 2018).

Of the research studies Ms. Kingston reviewed, 4 may have some applicability to me as a primarily 7th grade science teacher. Although 2 of the 4 studies had demographics significantly different from the district I teach in and 1 study did not identify the demographics. In the study with demographics most closely matching my district (and grade level), “On average, students show gains for the pre- to post-test scores. The study shows considerable learning with significant variation across teachers” (Kingston, 2018).

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Buck Institute for Education

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Project Based Learning for all. We build the capacity of teachers and school leaders to design and facilitate quality Project Based Learning.

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Summary: Project-Based Learning and the Middle School Mind

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Summary: Project-Based Learning and the Middle School Mind

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Amber Chandler specifically addresses project-based learning (PBL) in middle school. She acknowledges the disparity in middle school, where some students are well into adolescence while others look and may act like elementary children. She emphasizes the engagement of students in PBL, giving them voice and choice in projects. Interestingly, Chandler remarks that Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is an excellent resource for those utilizing PBL. In particular, she focuses on the second habit and how important it is in the beginning stage of PBL. The second habit states, “Begin with the end in mind” and it’s based on the belief that all things are created twice, first mental creation and second physical creation.

Chandler stresses how important an “authentic audience” is, which allows students to share their learning/project with classmates, parents, administrators, etc. She argues that “middle school students need this type of environment to compete with the multitude of issues they face in their changing lives” (Chandler, 2015).

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If you're like many teachers, you've promised students the opportunity to do a project after they've learned what you wanted them to learn. This seems reasonable, right? Well, if you are using the project as a culminating assessment, perhaps. But, if that's the case, you are missing out on the opportunity to utilize the process itself as a learning experience. Project-based learning is not an enticement to reward compliance, but "an instructional strategy that enables students to learn meaningful content and practice skills needed for 21 st century success," as John Larmer and John Mergendoller explain in their article "The Main Course, Not Dessert."

The phrase "Project-Based Learning" gets tossed around casually, but PBL (with capital letters) meets specific criteria that drive especially effective practice in a middle school classroom.

Burning Questions and Engaged Inquiry

"Why do we have to do this?" is a dreaded question from where I stand, looking at a sea of middle school faces, some in full blown adolescence, while others resemble elementary children. Some students have high pressure parents, while others suffer from lack of involvement at all. That student didn't make the basketball team, this student is trying to practice lines for the play under her breath. If teachers fail to challenge their students to seek answers to burning questions and engage their sense of wonder, it won't be surprising that emotional, psychological, social, and physical needs of students will overcome what is happening in the classroom.

Project-based learning engages students, allowing them to ask the questions, develop a course of action, and make the content a part of their lives rather than something that is happening on the periphery. For example, as my 8 th grade explores the novel , they are fully entrenched in finding answers to the questions that are central to the novel: Why do people bully? What should bystanders do, if anything? How do we handle socio-economic difference? Should students have school choice? Should girls be allowed to play on all-boys' teams? Why do adults devalue the contributions of teenagers? Do we have a responsibility to protect the environment? Their projects are assigned before the novel begins, giving them a framework for the novel, while also personalizing a book that could have simply been written off as about a boy who plays soccer in Florida.

Begin with the end in mind

Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is a great resource for practitioners of PBL. The second habit, particularly, is crucial in the introductory phase of Project-Based Learning: "Begin with the end in mind." Impetuous students need for teachers to facilitate this step, and Covey's description of the process is perfect. He describes Habit 2 as being "based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is the mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint."

So, as students formulate their burning questions and begin to actively inquire in multiple ways, the teacher-as-facilitator will guide students through the process of setting their vision. For example, let's say Anna chooses to explore the question "Should girls play on all boys' teams?" I'd ask her to map out a plan for sharing the knowledge they are going to attain while studying the novel. I keep a "ways to show what you know" poster and add to it as students push the boundaries with each new project. Some of the choices are: create a media mash-up, write a song and perform, design a video game, give a speech, start an email campaign, stage a debate, act it out, create a public service announcement, build a website, create an app, join a fandom, write fan fiction, crowdfund a solution to the problem, write an essay, or come up with something amazing of your own!

Student voice and choice

The project must be an outgrowth of the burning question, the information gathered from the inquiry, and the student's own personal reasons for pursuing a topic. Allowing Anna, the student mentioned above, to focus on the issue of girls on boys' sports teams opens up a world of possibilities-Title IV, gender expectations, and equality, to name a few. As a student becomes excited with the topic, I ask them questions about the best way to share their information. Let's say that in our class discussion Anna finds out that Michael is really opposed to girls on boys' sports teams. They can unite to do a "both sides" type exploration such as a debate or give speeches. When real engagement is offered, students jump at it, especially if there is a social aspect to it. I was amazed to watch Anna and Michael spend every study hall in the library researching, interviewing coaches, and taking copious notes. They decided that each of them would deliver a speech, which I would record and then show to my other classes, and all 144 students, along with a selection of adults in the building, would vote on who "won." Eric Jensen, in his article "Teachers: Why You Should Stop Telling Kids to Pay Attention," explains that when students are allowed the opportunity to voluntarily pay attention to specific tasks the retention rate is much higher. Clearly, students who are given these types of opportunities will retain much more than a one-size-fits-all assignment.

Authentic audience

At first students might be excited enough by the novelty of having such an active role in their own learning, but even that can become a part of their culture. To allow PBL its greatest impact, an authentic audience is a must. High Tech High is a great example of this, showcased in the new book and movie, Most Likely to Succeed . Yes, their classmates are a representative audience, but inviting parents, administrators, and other students to share in their learning experiences takes their work to a whole new level. While they might be satisfied to do a Prezi for our class without obsessing over spelling or grammar, I've watched as students begged each other to give it "one last look" before our principal was coming to see what they've been working on.

When utilizing the full potential of Project-Based Learning, instead of the dreaded "Why do we have to do this?" the teacher is able to turn the tables. The teacher asks, "Why are you choosing to do a debate?" or "How will you share your argument?" Some of you might be thinking that this is all well and good, but how do you make time for this? The answer is simple: this (the discussions, planning, researching, imagining, and eventually creating) is the unit, not a carrot at the end. Middle school students need this type of environment to compete with the multitude of issues they face in their changing lives. There is nothing quite like the air of excitement when students are buzzing away about seeing a speech or listening to someone's new song-a sure sign that you have their full attention and they have a purpose for learning.

For more, check out:

Amber Chandler is a middle school teacher at Frontier Middle School in Hamburg, NY. Follow Amber on Twitter, @MsAmberChandler.

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Project-Based Learning and the Middle School Mind

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If you're like many teachers, you've promised students the opportunity to do a project after they've learned what you wanted them to learn. This seems reasonable, right? Well, if you are using the project as a culminating assessment, perhaps. But, if that's the case, you are missing out on the opportunity to utilize the process itself as a learning experience.

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Definition of Project-Based Learning: Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience.

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Definition of Project-Based Learning: Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience.

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(Buck Institute for Education)

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Some Pros and Cons of Project-Based Learning

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Some Pros and Cons of Project-Based Learning

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Pros:
-quality projects get students excited to learn
-there are many projects already on the Internet that can be used/adapted
-develops critical thinking/problem solving skills
-empowers students
-there are many promising studies showing achievement gains

Cons:
-lack of experimental studies
-lack of resources/funding for resources
-implementation challenges
-teacher burnout
-time-strapped teachers
-varying levels of commitment to PBL

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Summary: 6 Tips for Preventing PBL Burnout

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Summary: 6 Tips for Preventing PBL Burnout

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Education is a gratifying profession, but teaching using project-based learning (PBL) can lead to burn out. Teacher and speaker Andre Daughty asserts that “finding the time during planning periods and after school to create those rewarding conditions brings stressors to our lives” (2017). He has come up with 6 ideas to help make PBL manageable for educators:

1.     Plan with your colleagues in order to share ideas and responsibilities

2.     Instead of starting from scratch, modify a project that has already been created/used

3.     Projects don’t need to be long and super involved

4.     It’s okay to use traditional teaching in between projects (incorporate PBL elements if possible)

5.     Seek local experts to help with projects, they can provide additional skills and knowledge

Remember that you are a facilitator and give your students voice and choice

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September 18, 2017
6 Tips for Preventing PBL Burnout

Education is a rewarding profession. Observing students develop their philosophies, understanding and conclusions throughout a PBL project brings those warm and fuzzy "This is why I became a teacher" moments.

Ah yes! That's the life!

On the other hand, being an educator is very challenging. Finding the time during planning periods and after school to create those rewarding conditions brings stressors to our lives. I can remember even saying to a colleague, "I really want to dig deep in this PBL project but I just don't have the time to really do it." Those uncomfortable feelings threatened my project. I remember fighting the stress like a Floyd Mayweather vs. Connor McGreggor fight, staying late at school helping student groups, arriving earlier than the norm assisting students who need extra support, and going home only to stay up late at night working even more. By the end of the project, the presentations were a success, the community loved it and everyone had that warm fuzzy moment. I also remember walking to my car dead tired with burn out wrapping his arms around me.

PBL provides stressful moments where we feel challenged and those moments motivate us towards greatness! It helps us push our students to reach those amazing final products, but sometimes that stress transforms into complete burn out.

I've definitely been there. Have you? What can you do to prevent PBL burnout? Here are a few ways:

Planning with Your Squad vs. Planning Alone
When you are planning a PBL alone, all of the weight and responsibility falls on one person. You. When you are planning with your colleagues, you can divvy up responsibilities, throw ideas off of each other, get better understanding, view the project from a different perspective and reduce stress altogether. As Helen Keller said, "Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Customizing/Adapting a Project vs. Designing from Scratch
I recall one educator who was stuck in a deep writer's block trying to design a math project scratch. We discussed ways on how to approach his overarching idea and that didn't help much. He jokingly said, "I quit. I'm not doing this!" I sensed there was some truth to that joke. It is okay to customize and adapt a project already created. BIE, PBLU, West Virginia's State Department of Education, and Mike Gorman's PBL Superhighway along with countless other resources can be a guide towards less stress. Reminder: Please make sure you weigh the projects with BIE's Essential Project Design Elements. If any of the projects are missing an element, add to it to make it a Gold Standard PBL project!

Design Less Ambitious and Lengthy Projects
Every project does not have to be a multi-disciplinary eight-week "Redesigning the Constitution of the United States" and how it would relate to (fill in the blank) country or a semester long "passion project" taking up 90% of each day. You can design less ambitious projects still with authenticity and have students engaged.

Take a Break Between Projects
One teacher asked me during a workshop if it was ever okay to go back to teaching traditionally. She loved Spalding Spelling and was afraid that she wasn't ever going to get to teach that again. It's okay to give your students (and yourself) breathing room. One PBL expert does two PBL projects per semester. She uses PBL elements in her traditional teaching the rest of the time.

Use Your Community Experts
Stress happens when you are doing too much! If you are doing a project on weather, why not contact local meteorologists or students who are majoring in meteorology? They can help you! If you are analyzing marketing trends, why are you the only one teaching it? Reach out to your local experts throughout your project. They bring their experience and expertise to your students. Everyone benefits from it.

Give It Up and Turn It Loose
Perhaps one reason stress levels are high is because you have limited the voice and choice. By you doing everything, you are falling into the giver of all knowledge instead of the facilitator of learning. Here are a few resources on providing more voice and choice for students:

Burnout is definitely legit in a PBL environment. I'm sure there are more ideas to prevent burnout. What are some ones I missed? Let's share them out and learn together.

Follow Andre Daughty on Twitter at @andredaughty

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Education is a rewarding profession. Observing students develop their philosophies, understanding and conclusions throughout a PBL project brings those warm and fuzzy "This is why I became a teacher" moments. Ah yes! That's the life! On the other hand, being an educator is very challenging.

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Summary: Curriculum Materials Make a Difference for Next Generation Science Learning: Results from Year 1 of a Randomized Control Trial

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Summary: Curriculum Materials Make a Difference for Next Generation Science Learning: Results from Year 1 of a Randomized Control Trial

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This study concludes that “curriculum materials with opportunities to engage in science practices are shown to have a positive impact on next generation science learning outcomes" (Harris, Penuel, DeBarger, Gallagher, 2014).  A document called Framework for K-12 Science Education is influencing Next Generation Science standards. This document reasons that students learn best by applying science concepts using a hands-on approach. The study had two groups, the treatment condition (those implementing project-based inquiry science (PBIS)), and the comparison condition (standard science curriculum using district textbooks). Teachers from both groups were invited to attend PBIS curriculum workshops. Additionally, all teachers were invited to participate in a Framework workshop. The results showed that students in the PBIS (treatment condition) scored higher on end of unit assessments than those in the comparison condition. In addition, “PBIS teachers were more likely to engage their students in four science practices as their units progressed, than were comparison teachers:

·       Constructing explanations

·       Developing and using models

·       Planning and carrying out investigations

·       Asking questions” (Harris, Penuel, DeBarger, Gallagher, 2014)

For the Framework to achieve its desired outcomes, the study notes that greater access to research-based materials “such as those developed with funding from the National Science Foundation” (Harris, Penuel, DeBarger, Gallagher, 2014) is needed. At the time of the study, only 6% of middle school teachers reported having access to such materials. Researchers also admit there is much work to be done in actually developing materials that support the Framework, while at the same time noting the need to provide teachers access to professional development regarding the Framework.

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Summary: Project-Based Learning: ‘Promising but Not Proven,’ Researchers Say

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Summary: Project-Based Learning: ‘Promising but Not Proven,’ Researchers Say

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Dian Schaffhauser, senior contributing editor of THE Journal and Campus Technology poses the question of whether or not project-based learning (PBL) has been effective. She cites a past review of PBL studies, completed in the year 2000. In comparison with the latest review 17 years later, they concluded “evidence for PBL’s effectiveness in boosting learning outcomes is skimpy” (Schaffhauser, 2017). Researchers assert that the problem was finding “valid, reliable, and readily usable measures of the kinds of deeper learning and interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies that PBL aims to promote” (Schaffhauser, 2017). Additionally, there are other aspects that make studying the value of PBL difficult, such as “there’s little agreement among experts about how PBL should fit in with other instructional methods, how long a PBL unit should last, the roles of student choice and collaborative learning or how learning should be assessed” (Schaffhauser, 2017).  On a positive note, they’ve observed that science is one of the subjects in which PBL has been most promising.

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Education Trends

Project-Based Learning: 'Promising but Not Proven,' Researchers Say

Does a focus on exploring real-world problems and challenges help students learn more effectively? That's the question posed in a working paper from research non-profit MRDC, which undertook a literature review on the topic of project-based learning (PBL). The last time this was done was 2000, when the Autodesk Foundation commissioned John Thomas to do a review of studies on PBL approaches in K-12 settings as well as of research on its implementation and effectiveness. At that time Thomas reported that a number of studies found a positive relationship between PBL and the "quantity and quality of student learning." He also uncovered some common challenges that teachers have in implementing PBL.

The new study, done 17 years later, found that the evidence for PBL's effectiveness in boosting learning outcomes is skimpy, or, as the researchers put it, "promising but not proven." What's hard, the authors said, was finding "valid, reliable, and readily usable measures of the kinds of deeper learning and interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies that PBL aims to promote." For example, many of the studies reviewed used designs that left open "the possibility" that factors other than PBL led to the outcomes. Where has PBL possibly proven most effective? Science and social studies classes, where more studies have been done. For math and literacy classes, the evidence is iffier because the number of studies is smaller. In fact, the report noted, math teachers have found it hard to integrate PBL into their instruction.

PBL has picked up steam in the past decade, according to the researchers, as a way to appeal to students' motivations, problem-solving skills and conceptual knowledge. It has received an extra push from the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards, which also emphasize the deeper learning skills PBL is intended to spark.

While PBL design principles place the project front and center as the main "vehicle of instruction" with students at the wheel, there's little agreement among experts about how PBL should fit in with other instructional methods, how long a PBL unit should last, the roles of student choice and collaborative learning or how learning should be assessed. As a result, it's tough for those studying the impact of PBL to know whether it's "being implemented with fidelity."

Likewise, the researchers found, implementations of PBL come with their own challenges. Teachers must evolve their roles from masters of the classroom to facilitators of learning. They must get used to ambiguity, noise and movement and adopt new classroom management skills. They also need to "believe that their students are fully capable of learning through this approach," the report stated. Those changes require not just professional development, but continuing support for PBL to be set up and run properly.

The report offers a number of recommendations for making sure PBL efforts are research-worthy:

First, lock down the design principles. They need to be measurable, address both content and assessment and be informed by practice. Researchers should also study adaptation of the design principles, taken to fit the local school setting.

Second, pay more attention to implementation - how the rollout of PBL is "affected by the broader school context," how different approaches to professional development affect PBL, how teacher belief influences use of PBL and how the use of technology addresses teacher challenges in the classroom. The report suggested that researchers pay more attention to "teacher-initiated PBL" as well, because that's the most common way students get exposure to it.

Third, a "top priority" for PBL research should be to structure PBL design principles that can be used in different settings, such as different grade levels, student populations and subject areas.

"Although practitioners and education reform advocates are interested in taking PBL to scale, the research evidence has not kept up with the increasing interest in PBL from the field," the researchers concluded. "More rigorous evidence is needed to confirm whether PBL is a better approach to prepare students for college and career than traditional teacher-directed methods."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at dian@dischaffhauser.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.

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Project-Based Learning: 'Promising but Not Proven,' Researchers Say -- THE Journal

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Does a focus on exploring real-world problems and challenges help students learn more effectively? That's the question posed in a working paper from research non-profit MRDC, which undertook a literature review on the topic of project-based learning (PBL) - 17 years after the last such review.