A Learning Journey in Problem-based Learning

Abstract

This ethnographic case study describes what happened when a high school biology teacher in Singapore adopted problem-based learning (PBL). Using activity theory, we compare her instructional unit with a reference PBL model derived from the literature. We found disparities in the motives driving these two activity systems, which we attribute to differences between the lived-realities of practitioners and academics. As the researchers collaborate with practitioners through joint reflective practices, our goal is to work towards an equilibrium point whereby PBL could be implemented meaningfully and realistically in an Asian society that has long placed a premium on academic achievement.