Teaching research methods is a challenging endeavor in any discipline. Approaches that offer beneficial and rewarding learning opportunities to students can improve their experiences of methods courses. This article describes research psychology students' and urban planning students' experiences of an approach that combines experiential and interdisciplinary scholarship in a university-science council research collaboration. Qualitative data from a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews generated three themes: learning about research in the real world, experiences of multidisciplinary teamwork, and professional and personal development of emerging researchers. These themes underline the importance of offering opportunities for learning about research in real-world settings, particularly when it is possible to involve external partners. We present implications of and recommendations for the implementation of the interdisciplinary project-based learning (IPjBL) strategy for teaching research methods.
In recent years, the significance of learner-centered approaches has been widely recognized in foreign language education, emphasizing teacher roles in promoting meaningful learning and 21st-century skills. Project-based learning (PjBL) has long been a constructivist approach involving learners' participation in authentic, real-world issues and meaningful content. This study investigates whether Gold-Standard PjBL is relevant and applicable in Kazakhstani English-medium schools and explores the attitudes of school administration toward EFL teachers implementing PjBL and their support for it. Qualitative and quantitative data involving 103 EFL teachers reveal that teachers are aware of the PjBL essentials and acknowledge the support of their school administration. However, their teaching practices fail to comply with the essential principles of a Gold-Standard, requiring further encouragement and promotion.
This study investigated the effect of the problem-based learning (PBL) approach on the problem-solving skills of middle school students as they learned about probability, a content area of eighth-grade curriculum. The research was carried out in the 2018-2019 academic year. The study group consisted of 39 eighth-grade students (14 female and 25 male students) studying at a middle school located in a province in the northern part of the Black Sea Region of T & uuml;rkiye. Data collection tools included the equivalence test (ET), the problem-solving test (PST), the Semi-Structured Interview Form (SSIF), and scenarios and activities prepared for the experimental group (EG). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. Analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples and the Mann-Whitney U Test. The results showed that the problem-solving skills of the EG students, who were taught using the PBL approach, were better than those of the control group (CG) students, who were taught using traditional expository teaching. Therefore, in mathematics teaching, PBL is the recommended approach to support students' problem-solving process in the mathematics curriculum.
The ideas of project-based language learning (PBLL) align well with the action-oriented approach, which is currently seen as the most promising approach in language education (Piccardo & North, 2019). In this study, we carried out the scoping review of empirical research articles describing the implementation of PBLL in higher education during the last 10 years (2011-2021), to answer these research questions: How are project-based language learning experiences designed and implemented in higher education? What are the characteristics of effective language learning projects that could be offered to university students? The results reveal that PBLL can be implemented in creative and varied ways in language education. The reviewed cases provide various solutions for topics, questions, or problems of projects; ways of designing the authentic learning environment; measures for ensuring student choice and voice; ideas for students’ reflection, critique, revision, and assessment; as well as a range of public products that students could create as outcomes of projects, which may be beneficial for language educators and curriculum designers in higher education.
This paper reports on a study of a graduate-level interdisciplinary problem-based learning (iPBL) course focused on equity in local educational policy. The course combined principles of problem-based learning, project-based learning, and interdisciplinary learning by enabling students to collaborate across disciplines while navigating a complex problem and implementing a practical solution. Students participating in the course reported that they learned about social context and policy, developed interdisciplinary and collaboration skills, and considered new methodological approaches. This learning was spurred by the need to navigate interdisciplinary and methodological differences in a co-created course structure where the instructors served as interdisciplinary role models. Students found navigating diverse disciplinary perspectives challenging and struggled to put a plan into action within a short timeframe. Despite these limitations, the experience fostered the development of knowing-practice specific to the needs of graduate students who are committed to making an impact on policy. The case illustrates the power of iPBL in developing learners who are better prepared to address complex issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
