It’s Not About the Money: Obstacles and Challenges With Scaling Up Problem-based Learning (PBL) School Transformation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Developing PBL futures

Abstract

In 2010, a public high school was awarded a 5-year federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant to transform itself from a traditional high school to a problem- and project-learning (PBL) high school. Despite quantitative and qualitative findings showing an impressive increase in student academic performance and engagement (Knuth et al., 2016), the district decided not to continue to support PBL at the school or scale up PBL across the district. This study shares follow-up semi-structured interview data collected in Spring of 2025 with district and school decision makers. These data suggest the decision to not support PBL was not just about funding but implicated deep cultural and philosophical tensions PBL surfaced around approaches to teaching and learning.

Author

• Paul S Sutton, Pacific Lutheran University