What does PBL look like in Middle School?

 

I helped start one of the first PBL middle school programs in the country, and in a large urban public middle school we saw attendance go up, discipline go down, and test scores go up. Learners showed up to school more, did more of what they were supposed to do and less of what they weren’t supposed to do. I’ve seen it be awesome! But don’t take my word for it. Take a look at the data for yourself: https://www.lucasedresearch.org/research/research-briefs/

Here are some of the positive outcomes of PBL that came come out in this research:

  • PBL plus professional learning for teachers led to increased learner engagement.

  • Teachers got better at facilitating group work, grew in performance assessments

  • Learners reported their classroom assignments were more interesting, challenging, worthwhile and enjoyable

  • Statistically significant effects on standardized tests

“This study provides important evidence that when underserved students, including English language learners, engage in authentic, real-world science instruction, significant learning across multiple content areas occurs. With that in mind, policy makers and education leaders should consider project-based learning as a lever for increasing and improving student engagement, learning, and equity outcomes.“

Additional PBL Resources

1. PBL Simplified Sign Up - Get these videos sent to your inbox each week!

2. PBL Simplified Book Study- Want to learn more about what the PBL process looks like in the classroom? Check out this book!

3. The PBL Simplified Podcast - Like listening to podcasts? Tune in each week to hear episodes on PBL-related topics.

4. PBL Movement Online Community - Connect with other like-minded educators and get access to a ton of PBL Resources.

5. PBL Blog Sign Up - If you like these videos, then you can get our PBL blogs sent your inbox as well!

6. Magnify Learning on YouTube Subscribe for the latest videos!