Abstract
This chapter highlights the effectiveness of teacher professional development to expand and support the implementation of project-based learning. Teacher professional development is essential for the growth of teacher content comprehension in the educational environment, confidence, and refining instructional learning segments. The purpose was to increase the capacity and implementation of project-based learning through teacher professional development that afforded distinctive methods in which teachers acted as a team with a variety of learning tasks, assessments, tools and materials. Consideration was given to educational collaboration and support, the influence of teacher mindset and self-certitude, resource impediments, and improving student participation. The results denoted valuable inferences of how professional development for teachers could guide the function of project- based learning in the learning environment.
TopBackground
The Buck Institute for Education (2018) defined project-based learning as an instructional approach in which students begin with a driving question and continue with inquiry research to reveal or ascertain evidence to answer the driving question. Students expand understanding and capabilities by functioning for an extended period of time examining and responding to meaningful, engrossing, and multifaceted inquiries or challenges. Duke (2016) described project-based learning as students going beyond the usual investment of time and school requirements for a project to create an invention, answer the driving question, or solve a real problem.
Traditional teaching concentrated on increasing knowledge through the memorization of facts and the retention of this new knowledge. However, there is disconnect between the everyday times that students live and the way students learn. Educators are challenged with students expecting an instructional system that differentiates student flow learning that is global, interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, and mindful. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), a national advocacy organization focused on imbuing 21st century skills into education, helping students master core subjects and become skilled at life and career skills, learning and innovations skills, key content themes, and information, media and technology skills.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Targeted Digital Resources: Technology-based materials that might include websites, online course content, video and/or social networks.
Communities of Practice: Working with teacher colleagues targeting the same learning goals and objectives.
Professional Development Coaching: Educators are provided the opportunity through workshops, coaching, or consulting to participate in proven instructional coaching practices, and system change strategies designed to lead to higher student achievement.
Fortification of Learning Tasks: Teachers explore opportunities for professional development, garner new knowledge, and design project-based learning in the learning environment.
Inclusive Teaching Practice: A multitude of teaching approaches and strategies applied in an inclusive learning environment that address the needs of students with diverse of backgrounds, abilities, and disabilities.
Scaffolded Student Learning: Teachers provide support and build pathways for progression and self-reliance in learning.
Project-Based Learning Professional Development for Teachers: Advanced teacher professional learning in focused project-based teaching and learning strategies for diverse students.
Student Collaboration in Project-Based Learning: All students are engaged in the project-based learning instructional tasks and assignments in their investigation of content.