Navigating Constraints: Teacher Agency in Project-Based Learning in Chinese High Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers and teacher agency across PBL learning environments

Abstract

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) is widely recognized for its pedagogical promise, yet its implementation within high-stakes, examination-driven educational systems presents a persistent dilemma. This study employs the ecological model of teacher agency to explore how six high school teachers in China navigate PjBL implementation within systemic constraints. Through semi-structured interviews, findings reveal that teachers draw upon their past professional experiences and future aspirations for students to navigate the tensions between pedagogical ideals and systemic demands, such as assessment misalignment and inadequate resource support, and thus develop pragmatic adaptations of PjBL. This study concludes that sustainable PjBL adoption requires not only individual teacher agency but also systemic reforms that expand the ecological conditions for agency to flourish.

Authors

• Wenmin Zhao, University of Saint Joseph

• Run Wen, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

• Rong Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

• Mingyu Liu, Suzhou Vocational Health College