Harnessing a cluster randomized controlled trial, we estimated the impact on students’ advanced placement (AP) examination performance of a project-based learning (PBL) approach to AP compared with a lecture-based AP approach. Through PBL, teachers primarily play a facilitator role, while students work on complex tasks organized around central questions leading to a final product. We estimated positive and significant treatment effects on AP exam performance for the overall sample, within both AP courses studied, and within low- and high-income student groups. Results support teacher-driven adoption of the PBL AP approach within both courses studied, among districts with open-enrollment AP policies and supportive of PBL, for students from low- and high-income households.
AltonjiJ. G.MansfieldR. K. (2018). Estimating group effects using averages of observables to control for sorting on unobservables: School and neighborhood effects. American Economic Review, 108(10), 2902–2946.
2.
AndrewsD.LewisM. (2007). Transforming practice from within: The power of the professional learning community. http://www.sagepub.com
3.
BanilowerE. R.SmithP. S.MalzahnK. A.PlumleyC. L.GordonE. M.HayesM. L. (2018). Report of the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education. Horizon Research.
4.
BarronB.Darling-HammondL. (2008). Teaching for meaningful learning: A review of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning—Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding. Edutopia.
5.
BarronB. J. S.SchwartzD. L.VyeN. J.MooreA.PetrosinoA. J.ZechL. J.BransfordJ. D., & Cognition Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1998). Doing with understanding: Lessons from research on problem and project-based learning. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 7(3–4), 271–312.
6.
BoalerJ. (1997). Experiencing school mathematics: Teaching styles, sex and settings. Open University Press.
7.
BransfordJ.StevensR.SchwartzD.MeltzoffA.PeaR.RoschelleJ.VyeN.KuhlP.BellP.BarronB.ReevesB.SabelliN. (2006). Learning theories and education: Toward a decade of synergy. In AlexanderP. A.WinneP. H. (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 209–244). Lawrence Erlbaum.
8.
CampbellD. E. (2019). What social scientists have learned about civic education: A review of the literature. Peabody Journal of Education, 94(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2019.1553601
9.
CarpenterJ. R.KenwardM. G. (2013). Multiple imputation and its application. John Wiley & Sons.
10.
Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1992). The Jasper series as an example of anchored instruction: Theory, program description, and assessment data. Educational Psychologist, 27(3), 291–315.
CondliffeB.VisherM. G.BangserM. R.Drohoj-owskaS.SacoL. (2017). Project-based learning: A literature review [Working paper]. MDRC.
15.
CongerD.KennedyA. I.LongM. C.McGheeR. (2021). The effect of advanced placement science on students’ skills, confidence, and stress. Journal of Human Resources, 56(1), 93–124.
16.
CorrentiR. (2007). An empirical investigation of professional development effects on literacy instruction using daily logs. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 29(4), 262–295. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373707309074
17.
Darling-HammondL.HylerM. E.GardnerM. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
18.
DesimoneL. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181–199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X08331140
19.
DochyF.SegersM. R.Van den BosscheP.GijbelsD. (2003). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis (In J. Durlak, R. P. Weissberg, A. B. Dymnicki, R. D. Taylor, & K. B. Schellinger (Eds.), The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions child development, 82(1), 405–432.). Learning and Instruction, 13, 533–568.
20.
DoleS.BloomL.KowalskeK. (2016). Transforming pedagogy: Changing perspectives from teacher-centered to learner-centered. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 10(1), Article 1538.
21.
DrakeK. N.LongD. (2009). Rebecca’s in the dark: A comparative study of problem-based learning and direct instruction/experiential learning in two fourth-grade classrooms (abstract). Journal of Elementary Science Education, 21(1), 1–16.
22.
DukeN. K.HalvorsenA.-L.StrachanS. L.KimJ.KonstantopoulosS. (2020). Putting PBL to the test: The impact of project-based learning on second graders’ social studies and literacy learning and motivation in low-SES school settings. American Educational Research Journal, 58, 160–200.
23.
FinkelsteinN.HansonT.HuangC. W.HirschmanB.HuangM. (2010). Effects of problem based economics on high school economics instruction (NCEE 2010-4110). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory West.
24.
FinnC.ScanlanA. (2019). Learning in the fast lane: The past, present, and future of advanced placement. Princeton University Press.
25.
FischerC.FishmanB.DedeC.EisenkraftA.FruminK.FosterB.LawrenceF.LevyA. J.McCoyA. (2018). Investigating relationships between school context, teacher professional development, teaching practices, and student achievement in response to a nationwide science reform. Teaching and Teacher Education, 72, 107–121.
26.
FishmanB.PenuelW. (2018). Design-based implementation research. In FischerF.Hmelo-SilverC. E.GoldmanS. R.ReimannP. (Eds.), International handbook of the learning sciences (1st ed., pp. 393–400). Routledge.
27.
FoglemanJ.McNeillK. L.KrajcikJ. S. (2011). Examining the effect of teachers’ adaptations of a middle school science inquiry-oriented curriculum unit on student learning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(2), 149–169. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20399
28.
GardnerH. (1999). Disciplined mind: What all students should understand. Simon & Schuster.
29.
GaretM. S.PorterA. C.DesimoneL.BirmanB. F.YoonK. S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national . . . sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, 38(4), 915–945. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038004915
30.
GeierR.BlumenfeldP. C.MarxR. W.KrajcikJ. S.FishmanB.SolowayE.Clay-ChambersJ. (2008). Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in inquiry-based science curricula in the context of urban reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(8), 922–939.
31.
GijbelsD.DochyF.Van den BosscheP.SegersM. (2005). Effects of problem-based learning: A meta-analysis from the angle of assessment. Review of Educational Research, 75(1), 27–61.
32.
HarrisC. J.PenuelW. R.D’AngeloC. M.DeBargerA. H.GallagherL. P.KennedyC. A.KrajcikJ. S. (2015). Impact of project-based curriculum materials on student learning in science: Results of a randomized controlled trial. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tea.21263/abstract
33.
HendricksonA.PattersonB.MelicanG. (2008). The effect of using different weights for multiple-choice and free-response item sections. The College Board and the National Council for Measurement in Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED563398.pdf
34.
Hernandez-RamosP.De La PazS. (2009). Learning history in middle school by designing multimedia in a project-based learning experience (abstract). Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(2), 151–173.
35.
Hmelo-SilverC. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235–266.
36.
HolbeinJ.HillygusS. (2020). Making young voters. Cambridge University Press.
37.
JacksonK.MakarinA. (2018). Can online off-the-shelf lessons improve student outcomes? Evidence from a field experiment. American Economic Journal Economic Policy, 10(3), 226–254.
38.
JoyceB. R.ShowersB. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
39.
KolodnerJ. L.CampP. J.CrismondD.FasseB.GrayJ.HolbrookJ.PuntambekarS.RyanM. (2003). Problem-based learning meets case-based reasoning in the middle-school science classroom: Putting learning by design into practice. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 12(4), 495–547.
40.
KraftM. A.BlazarD.HoganD. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588.
LongM. C.CongerD.McGheeR.Jr. (2019). Life on the frontier of AP expansion: Can schools in less-resourced communities successfully implement advanced placement science courses?Educational Researcher, 48(6), 356–368.
43.
MaxwellN.MergendollerJ. R.BellisimoY. (2005). Problem-based learning and high school macroeconomics: A comparative study of instructional methods. The Journal of Economic Education, 36(4), 315–331.
44.
MorganK. L.RubinD. B. (2012). Rerandomization to improve covariate balance in experiments. The Annals of Statistics, 40, 1263–1282.
45.
MurrayI.Savin-BadenM. (2000). Staff development in problem-based learning. Teaching in Higher Education, 5(1), 107–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/135625100114993
46.
National Research Council. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded ed.). The National Academies Press.
47.
ParkerW.MosborgS.BransfordJ.VyeN.WilkersonJ.AbbottR. (2011). Rethinking advanced high school coursework: Tackling the depth/breadth tension in the AP U.S. government and politics course. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43(4), 533–559.
48.
ParkerW. C.LoJ.YeoA. J.ValenciaS.NguyenD.AbbottR.VyeM. (2013). Beyond breadth-speed-test: Toward deeper knowing and engagement in an advanced placement course. American Educational Research Journal, 50(6), 1424–1459.
49.
ParkerW. C.LoJ. C. (2016). Reinventing the high school government course: Rigor, simulations, and learning from text. Democracy and Education, 24(1), Article 6.
50.
PerkinsD. N.JayE.TishmanS. (1993). New conceptions of thinking: From ontology to education. Educational Psychologist, 28(1), 2867–2885.
51.
RoschelleJ.ShechtmanN.TatarD.HegedusS.HopkinsB.EmpsonS.KnudsenJ.GallagherL. P. (2010). Integration of technology, curriculum, and professional development for advancing middle school mathematics: Three large-scale studies. American Educational Research Journal, 47(4), 833–878.
52.
RubinD. B. (1987). Multiple imputation for nonresponse in surveys. John Wiley & Sons.
53.
SaavedraA.RapaportA.Lock MorganK.GarlandM.LiuY.HoepfnerD.HuA.HaderleinS. K. (2021a). Project-based learning in AP classrooms: Lessons from research. Phi Delta Kappan.
54.
SaavedraA.RapaportA.Lock MorganK.GarlandM.LiuY.HoepfnerD.HuA.HaderleinS. K. (2021b). Knowledge in action efficacy study over two years. University of Southern California. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED616435
55.
SadlerP. M.SonnertG.TaiR. H.KlopfensteinK. (2010). AP: A critical examination of the advanced placement program. Harvard Education Press.
56.
SchneiderR.KrajcikJ.MarxR. W.SolowayE. (2002). Performance of students in project-based science classrooms on a national measure of science achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(5), 410–422.
57.
SchwartzD.BransfordJ. (1998). A time for telling. Cognition and Instruction, 16(4), 475–522.
58.
SchwartzM. S.FischerK. W. (2006). Useful metaphors for tackling problems in teaching and learning. About Campus, 11(1), 2–9.
59.
SmithJ.HurwitzM.AveryC. (2017). Giving college credit where it is due: Advanced placement exam scores and college outcomes. Journal of Labor Economics, 35(1), Article 687568.
60.
StollL.BolamR.McMahonA.WallaceM.ThomasS. (2006). Professional learning communities: A review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7, 221–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-006-0001-8
61.
StrobelJ.van BarneveldA. (2009). When is PBL more effective? A meta-synthesis of meta-analyses comparing PBL to conventional classrooms (abstract). The Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 3(1), Article 4.
62.
SupovitzJ.TurnerH. M. (2000). The effects of professional development on science teaching practices and classroom culture. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 963–980.
TyackD.CubanL. (1995). Tinkering toward Utopia: A century of public school reform. Harvard University Press.
65.
ValantJ.NewarkD. A. (2017). My kids, your kids, our kids: What parents and the public want from schools. Teachers College Record, 119(12), n12.
66.
WalkerA.LearyH. (2009). A problem-based learning meta analysis: Differences across problem types, implementation types, disciplines, and assessment levels (abstract). Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 3(1), 12–43.
67.
What Works Clearinghouse. (2020). What Works Clearinghouse standards handbook (Version 4.1). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/handbooks
68.
WiesemanK. C.CadwellD. (2005). Local history and problem-based learning. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 18(1), 11–14.
69.
WoodA.WhiteI.RoystonP. (2008). How should variable selection be performed with multiply imputed data?Statistics in Medicine, 27(17), 3227–3246.
70.
YoonK. S.DuncanT.LeeS. W.-Y.ScarlossB.ShapleyK. (2007). Reviewing the evidence on how teacher professional development affects student achievement (Issues & answers report, REL 2007–no. 033). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
71.
YounissJ. (2012). How to enrich civic education and sustain democracy. In CampbellD. E.LevinsonM.HessF. (Eds.), Making civics count (pp. 115–134). Harvard Education Press.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
