Supporting Authentic Learning in PBL (Project-Based Learning) for ALL Students: Scaffolding Within PBL Design Principles

• In Event: Constructing Educational Possibilities With Teachers at the Center of Project-Based Learning Design and Enactment

Abstract

Purpose
Despite the widespread support for PBL to engage students in rich learning experiences, few studies have examined just how teachers negotiate PBL in classrooms with minoritized students, with little known about the enactment of PBL with students with disabilities or multilingual learners (e.g., Condliffe et al., 2017). We codesigned and enacted an inclusive PBL project that addressed authenticity, choice, and engagement integral to PBL along with scaffolds to make learning accessible to underperforming students. We were interested in how teachers, who were deeply knowledgeable about their students, engaged in the project design process and the resulting ways they negotiated learning in their classrooms.

Perspectives
This study is grounded in the perspective that students with a variety of learning and language experiences can thrive in inclusive classrooms when appropriate supports are provided (Valle & Connor, 2019) and that models such as PBL provide possibilities for this synergy (Author, 2022a; Baines, et al., 2021).

Methods & Data Sources
Three experienced ELA teachers collaborated with two university researchers to create the PBL project. Students (97% students of color, 28% identified as English learners, 18% identified with a disability) in all 5 sections of 9th grade ELA engaged in a 6-week curriculum-aligned project culminating in sharing informative digital stories at an evening film festival. Data sources include field notes collected 2/wk, teacher and student interviews, pre and post student perception surveys, and student work. Mixed methods analysis was used to determine 1) which scaffolds were designed and which were enacted, 2) how scaffolds interacted with PBL design principles (e.g., did predetermined text sets limit students’ perceptions of choice?), and 3) how teachers and students perceived the PBL project relative to other ELA units.

Results
Teachers enacted a variety of scaffolds during the PBL project. Most students reported that they enjoyed the project, appreciated the choice and flexibility of creating a video, and found the topics meaningful. Teachers were proud of students and believed that the scaffolds supported student learning and engagement (e.g., text sets, learning logs, video planning guide). Teachers appreciated that the project had a real-world audience and deadline, and that students developed academic skills not available with more traditional instruction. Teachers spoke of the benefits of codesigning the PBL project. Tensions included sorting out which scaffolds would be the most useful for students, finding ways to create authentic collaborative experiences, and the urgency of supporting all students to complete the project while keeping the process authentic and student driven.

Scholarly Significance
We build on the limited evidence for using PBL in heterogeneous classrooms (Author, 2022; Condliffe, 2017). While others have suggested that using some PBL and some typical instruction is needed to support underperforming students, our study shows specific ways that teachers can integrate more explicit approaches with PBL to reach all learners. These results provide important insights into expanding educational opportunities for minoritized students who are often excluded from student centered approaches like PBL. Challenges as well as suggestions for future research and practice will also be shared.

Authors

• Alison Gould Boardman, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Allarie Coleman, University of Colorado - Boulder