PLANNING AND SUPPORT MATERIALS

Taking part in PBL, whether you have no experience or lots of experience, is inherently risky. When you are starting out and you are unfamiliar with the approach and corresponding pedagogy it can create mixed feelings of excitement and fear as you step into the unknown. But even as an experienced PBLer when you begin to give your students greater ownership of the project; when you work with external partners to plan; or hold an exhibition in a very public space, this creates risk and therefore maybe just a little bit of anxiety!

Research has long shown that anxiety when taking risks with your teaching is normal. In her article about teacher perception of risk Le Fevre (2014) explains that it is related to the move away from ‘ontological security’ i.e. the departure from having a sense of continuity in relation to your self-identity and the constancy of your surrounding social and material environments (p.57).

So how do you gain confidence in planning and implementing PBL in your teaching?

1) Make time for planning.

2) Plan projects at a manageable level that develop your PBL practice and that of your students, thereby building your confidence and theirs.

3) Discuss your project plan with others.

4) Accept that both you and your students will feel anxious as you embark on this new way of working.

5) Think through some of the risks in advance.

The resources below are taken from the teacher planning guide, Planning curriculum-embedded Project-Based Learning with real world connections, created by David Leat, Ulrike Thomas and Alison Whelan from Newcastle University (2021).