Research in the area of applying Common Core to the context of PBL has revealed a few surprising findings.
I'll begin with the most dramatic find: as early as 1997, teachers were experiencing common problems with their implementation of PBL. These problems, among others, are the amount of time it takes to undergo and inquiry unit, and difficulty managing students. The original study that cites these struggles is not describing whiny teachers, but real hurdles in an implementation they tried earnestly to employ. Twenty years later, these are still major issues that my middle school has encountered as we implement PBL. Two things come to my mind: 1) There is no easy fix, or after twenty years someone would have thought of it, and 2) Why didn't anyone reassure our staff that we weren't alone in the struggle?
Secondly, it's been interesting to read first-hand the research that supports using PBL in the classroom. I expected this type of research to exist, mostly because PBL is such a growing trend right now. The research seems to fall into two categories:
Though Envision Schools and New Tech Network boast how complimentary CCSS and PBL go are, peer-reviewed research specifically linking Common Core standards to PBL is slim. Instead, I've found valuable research on the effectiveness of close reads and the need for explicit instruction if students are to comprehend the complex texts required in the new standards. Therefore, in my research I'm employing these close reading strategies as we read Common Core- aligned texts within the PBL unit. This is a practice I've used before, but after what I've learned, I am more confident and intentional about this explicit instruction being a part of our PBL unit.
I'll begin with the most dramatic find: as early as 1997, teachers were experiencing common problems with their implementation of PBL. These problems, among others, are the amount of time it takes to undergo and inquiry unit, and difficulty managing students. The original study that cites these struggles is not describing whiny teachers, but real hurdles in an implementation they tried earnestly to employ. Twenty years later, these are still major issues that my middle school has encountered as we implement PBL. Two things come to my mind: 1) There is no easy fix, or after twenty years someone would have thought of it, and 2) Why didn't anyone reassure our staff that we weren't alone in the struggle?
Secondly, it's been interesting to read first-hand the research that supports using PBL in the classroom. I expected this type of research to exist, mostly because PBL is such a growing trend right now. The research seems to fall into two categories:
- Impressive graduation statistics from PBL schools. Schools like Envision and New Tech Network have consistently high graduation rates and college success stories, especially in diverse populations. These statistics are reviewed in the Darling-Hammond book as well as BIE's and NTN's literature.
- Research citing the "promise" of certain PBL elements. Ability to engage at-risk learners, the benefits of technology integration, improvement in 21st century skills (like collaboration) are all among the PBL elements that have been singled out in various studies. Rarely does any single study take on the effectiveness of PBL in its entirety- likely because there are so many variables at play.
Though Envision Schools and New Tech Network boast how complimentary CCSS and PBL go are, peer-reviewed research specifically linking Common Core standards to PBL is slim. Instead, I've found valuable research on the effectiveness of close reads and the need for explicit instruction if students are to comprehend the complex texts required in the new standards. Therefore, in my research I'm employing these close reading strategies as we read Common Core- aligned texts within the PBL unit. This is a practice I've used before, but after what I've learned, I am more confident and intentional about this explicit instruction being a part of our PBL unit.