Abstract
After 30 years of practicing, researching, and teaching project-based learning (PBL), Steven Wolk offers insight into what he has learned. He discusses what PBL is and responds to common misunderstandings about how it works. He describes how PBL units are structured, the role of direct instruction in PBL, how students learn content and skills through PBL, and the importance of a culture of inquiry to a PBL classroom. And he shares inspirational ideas for how teachers and schools can take PBL even further, such as by designing problem-based PBL units.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Berger
R.
(2013 ). An ethic of excellence . Heinemann .
2.Buck Institute for Education . (2015 ). Gold standard PBL: Essential project design elements
. Author .
3.
Duke
N.
Halvorsen
A-L.
(2017 , June 20 ). New study shows the impact of PBL on student achievement . Edutopia .
4.
Gaertner
D.
(2021 ). Increase student ownership with a student-facing project map . Unboxed , 21 , 29 –35 .
5.
Haberman
M.
(1991 ). The pedagogy of poverty versus good teaching . Phi Delta Kappan , 73 (4 ), 290 –294 .
6.
Kilpatrick
W.H.
(1918 ). The project method . Teachers College Record , 19 (4 ), 319 –335 .
7.
Kilpatrick
W.H.
(1925 ). Foundations of method: Informal talks on teaching . Macmillan .
8.
Larmer
J.
Mergendoller
J.R.
(2010 ). The main course, not dessert . Buck Institute for Education .
9.
Martinez
M.R.
McGrath
D.
(2014 ). Deeper learning . The New Press .
10.
Mehta
J.
Fine
S.
(2019 ). In search of deeper learning . Harvard Education Press .
11.
Perkins
D.
(1995 ). Smart schools: Better thinking and learning for every child . Free Press .
12.
Wolk
S.
(1998 ). A democratic classroom . Heinemann .