This article focuses on a teacher’s evaluation of an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL)... more This article focuses on a teacher’s evaluation of an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL) and its effects on his professional development. This case study, of a descriptive-analytical nature, involved the collaboration between the researcher and teacher in the planning, implementation of PBL and, to some extent, analysis of results. Research data—collected via participant observation of classes and open-ended interviews with the teacher—were analyzed in light of the literature on PBL, teacher knowledge base, and professional development. Results indicate teacher satisfaction, but also point to higher class unpredictability and increased time/workload. PBL also seems to distribute teaching workload more evenly throughout the semester than traditional methods do. This hinders routinisation and constrains teachers’ autonomy. On the other hand PBL appeared to foster the teacher’s development of his teaching knowledge base, especially regarding the knowledge of students, their reasoning mode and interests.
This paper analyses and discusses a partial implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) from t... more This paper analyses and discusses a partial implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) from the student standpoint. PBL is an instructional approach that uses problems to initiate, focus and motivate students’ acquisition of specific knowledge and development of professional skills and attitudes. In this study PBL was implemented in an administration theory module of an electrical engineering programme at a public university in Brazil. Data was collected through participant observation of classes and an end-of-term questionnaire and analysed qualitatively. Despite suggesting disadvantages such as increased workload and time consumption, superficial knowledge acquisition and defi cient evaluation, results indicate a high level of student satisfaction as regards PBL and its capacity for promoting skills and attitudes cited by the literature.
This paper presents the student evaluation of a problem-based learning (PBL) implementation in
th... more This paper presents the student evaluation of a problem-based learning (PBL) implementation in the postgraduate engineering curriculum of a public university in Brazil. This investigation adopts a qualitative and collaborative design, as suggested when the research objective is to study phenomena in their natural settings in terms of the meanings people bring to them and when the data collected cannot be statistically handled easily. To this end, an instructional method based on PBL principles and activities was implemented in an administration theory course during one semester. The data utilized in this paper derive from participant observation and an end-of-term questionnaire in which the students were asked to evaluate the instructional method, its advantages and disadvantages, comment on some of its features, and give improvement suggestions. The student evaluations show that the approach used was very satisfactory and may have promoted the acquisition of knowledge as well as the development of some desirable skills and attitudes, such as teamwork and communication skills and respect for divergent ideas. Despite the favourable outcomes, the conclusion about the viability of using this instructional method in the context in question still depends on further consideration of some institutional and teacher-related issues.
This article focuses on a teacher’s evaluation of an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL)... more This article focuses on a teacher’s evaluation of an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL) and its effects on his professional development. This case study, of a descriptive-analytical nature, involved the collaboration between the researcher and teacher in the planning, implementation of PBL and, to some extent, analysis of results. Research data—collected via participant observation of classes and open-ended interviews with the teacher—were analyzed in light of the literature on PBL, teacher knowledge base, and professional development. Results indicate teacher satisfaction, but also point to higher class unpredictability and increased time/workload. PBL also seems to distribute teaching workload more evenly throughout the semester than traditional methods do. This hinders routinisation and constrains teachers’ autonomy. On the other hand PBL appeared to foster the teacher’s development of his teaching knowledge base, especially regarding the knowledge of students, their reasoning mode and interests.
This paper analyses and discusses a partial implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) from t... more This paper analyses and discusses a partial implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) from the student standpoint. PBL is an instructional approach that uses problems to initiate, focus and motivate students’ acquisition of specific knowledge and development of professional skills and attitudes. In this study PBL was implemented in an administration theory module of an electrical engineering programme at a public university in Brazil. Data was collected through participant observation of classes and an end-of-term questionnaire and analysed qualitatively. Despite suggesting disadvantages such as increased workload and time consumption, superficial knowledge acquisition and defi cient evaluation, results indicate a high level of student satisfaction as regards PBL and its capacity for promoting skills and attitudes cited by the literature.
This paper presents the student evaluation of a problem-based learning (PBL) implementation in
th... more This paper presents the student evaluation of a problem-based learning (PBL) implementation in the postgraduate engineering curriculum of a public university in Brazil. This investigation adopts a qualitative and collaborative design, as suggested when the research objective is to study phenomena in their natural settings in terms of the meanings people bring to them and when the data collected cannot be statistically handled easily. To this end, an instructional method based on PBL principles and activities was implemented in an administration theory course during one semester. The data utilized in this paper derive from participant observation and an end-of-term questionnaire in which the students were asked to evaluate the instructional method, its advantages and disadvantages, comment on some of its features, and give improvement suggestions. The student evaluations show that the approach used was very satisfactory and may have promoted the acquisition of knowledge as well as the development of some desirable skills and attitudes, such as teamwork and communication skills and respect for divergent ideas. Despite the favourable outcomes, the conclusion about the viability of using this instructional method in the context in question still depends on further consideration of some institutional and teacher-related issues.
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Papers by Luis Ribeiro
the postgraduate engineering curriculum of a public university in Brazil. This investigation adopts a qualitative and collaborative design, as suggested when the research objective is to study phenomena in their natural settings in terms of the meanings people bring to them and when the data collected cannot be statistically handled easily. To this end, an instructional method based on PBL principles and activities was implemented in an administration theory course during one semester. The data utilized in this paper derive from participant observation and an end-of-term questionnaire in which the students were asked to evaluate the instructional method, its advantages and disadvantages, comment on some of its features, and give improvement suggestions. The student evaluations show that the approach used was very satisfactory and may have promoted the acquisition of knowledge as well as the development of some desirable skills and attitudes, such as teamwork and communication skills and respect for divergent ideas. Despite the favourable outcomes, the conclusion about the viability of using this instructional method in the context in question still depends on further consideration of some institutional and teacher-related issues.
the postgraduate engineering curriculum of a public university in Brazil. This investigation adopts a qualitative and collaborative design, as suggested when the research objective is to study phenomena in their natural settings in terms of the meanings people bring to them and when the data collected cannot be statistically handled easily. To this end, an instructional method based on PBL principles and activities was implemented in an administration theory course during one semester. The data utilized in this paper derive from participant observation and an end-of-term questionnaire in which the students were asked to evaluate the instructional method, its advantages and disadvantages, comment on some of its features, and give improvement suggestions. The student evaluations show that the approach used was very satisfactory and may have promoted the acquisition of knowledge as well as the development of some desirable skills and attitudes, such as teamwork and communication skills and respect for divergent ideas. Despite the favourable outcomes, the conclusion about the viability of using this instructional method in the context in question still depends on further consideration of some institutional and teacher-related issues.