An examination of the roles of the teacher and students during a problem-based learning intervention: lessons learned from a study in a Taiwanese primary mathematics classroom |
| |
| Authors: | Hui-Chuan Li Andreas J Stylianides |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam , Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam;2. Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK |
| |
| Abstract: | The benefits of problem-based learning (PBL) to student learning have prompted researchers to investigate this pedagogical approach over the past few decades. However, little research has examined how PBL can be applied to mathematics learning and teaching, especially in countries like Taiwan, where the majority of teachers are accustomed to lecture methods and students are used to this style of teaching. This study examines the actions of a teacher and her class of 35 fifth-grade students (10–11-year-olds) as they tried to take on and respond to the demands of their new roles as “facilitator” and “constructors”, respectively, during a one-year PBL intervention in a Taiwanese mathematics classroom. Our findings provide insights into classroom participants’ role transition, from a customary role to a new role, when engaging with PBL. We identify an interrelationship between the teacher and student roles and discuss implications for the implementation of PBL at the primary education level. |
| |
| Keywords: | Problem-based learning (PBL) primary education mathematics facilitator constructor role transition in PBL |
|
|
