(Missed) Opportunities for Collaborative Social Skills Development in a Grade 8 Project-Based-Learning Civics Curriculum

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Enhancing Students' Experiences and Skills in Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning (Table 12)

Abstract

Collaboration is inherent in project-based learning civics education, as real-world, authentic civic problems in a democracy require effective collaboration toward a shared goal. Many skills implicit in this process are social: effective communication, management of group dynamics, and conflict resolution. But how do we know whether PBL curricula actually foster these skills without intentional scaffolding? This paper, a multi-site case study, considers how teachers implementing a PBL civics curriculum approach collaboration within student-led projects and the extent to which these approaches provide opportunities for students to develop collaborative social skills. Thus, we make the case for the potential benefits of intentional instruction of social-emotional skills within PBL curricula, while pointing at missed opportunities in its absence.

Authors

• Ariana Zetlin, University of Pennsylvania

• Tom Nachtigal, Stanford University