Problem- and Project-Based Learning in Diverse Settings

This article presents an autoethnographic account of 23 years of teaching experience using problem- and project-based learning (ProbBL and ProjBL) in higher education, across face-to-face, blended, distance learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) formats. Drawing on 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and personal teaching notes, I systematically analyse how PBL approaches were developed, adapted, and implemented in diverse institutional and cultural contexts. These published works, based on both quantitative and qualitative research, serve as reflective artifacts through which I revisit and reinterpret my teaching practice. Using content mapping and thematic coding, I identify recurring tensions and enabling conditions in the application of PBL over time. Key findings highlight the importance of institutional support, student autonomy, emotional engagement, and community partnerships in sustaining active learning practices. Conversely, structural challenges such as faculty precarity, bureaucratic rigidity, and cultural resistance to pedagogical change often undermine these efforts. This article contributes to the literature by foregrounding the often-invisible institutional and emotional labor involved in sustaining transformative teaching practices. It also offers practical recommendations for educators and academic leaders seeking to advance PBL in complex and evolving educational environments.