Investigating Barriers and Creating Solutions to Curriculum Implementation for U.S. and International Teachers

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Exploring the Struggles of Responsive Primary/Secondary Educators

Proposal

This presentation investigates the use of problem-based learning (PBL) as a pedagogical practice for P12 students in U.S. and international classrooms including its feasibility as an instructional strategy in light of legislative mandates, country context, and school climate. The study, conducted through a spring graduate course for practicing teachers over five years, included 27 teachers of various subjects who taught in U.S. and international schools in nine countries. While each school, state, country, and teacher’s classroom is different, the presentation will present ideas and specific cases to offer solutions. Drawing from the literature as well as individual interviews and written responses from the teachers, this IRB-approved study will also pose questions related to risk, resistance, and benefits. Initial written prompts focused on student understanding of problem-based learning (Stepien & Pyke, 1997; Ertmer & Simons, 2006) and facilitation (Swan et al., 2013; Hmelo-Silver et al., 2019) while later prompts focused on issues with implementation due to mandates and/or climate. Individual interviews discuss censorship, curriculum control, and risk. The presenter will draw on teachers’ written responses and interviews plus relevant literature to explore the barriers and responses to PBL implementation in various contexts.

Author

• Kimberley Daly, George Mason University