Understanding How Preservice Teachers Learn Project-Based Learning for Social Justice

• In Event: Social Justice and Restorative Practices in Teacher Education

Abstract

Project-Based Learning (PBL) benefits minority students from low-income backgrounds in math and science classrooms; however, less is known about how pre-service teachers learn PBL and its impact in the classroom. Pre-service teachers explored student-centered, interdisciplinary approaches by listening to and honoring the knowledge, experiences, and voices of their students and the community. Through a qualitative approach, we deduce themes on the participation of the pre-service teachers and their students and their enactment of PBL. Despite having a lack of experience with PBL, pre-service teachers felt intra-peer validation and support from professional learning communities. They operationalized their notions of equity and social justice and noticed positive differences in content engagement and more student participation in whole-class discussions.

Authors

• Jaime Park, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Imelda Nava-Landeros, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author