Facilitation of authentic teaching and learning in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment

This qualitative study examined how the facilitation of students in a PBL environment may lead to authentic teaching and authentic learning in K-12 educational settings. The rationale and purpose of this study is to explore the PBL environment as a vehicle for reaching educational goals, rather than PBL as a means to an end. This study seeks to understand the role of the facilitator in guiding students to construct their own learning. Likewise, the study investigated the best practices implemented by teachers when facilitating a personalized PBL environment, and sought to understand whether these are best practices that are transferable to other learning environments. Using qualitative methodology, this case study focused on Central Institute in the State of Hawaii, a private institution that specializes in high school PBL environments. The study population consisted of three teacher participants and two student participants. Interviews and classroom observations were conducted and collected as primary data points. Data were coded using open coding, selective coding and thematic categories. Despite the growing literature in the fields of PBL and personalized learning, as presented in Chapter Two, the findings of this qualitative study highlight the discrepancies that exist between the literature and the practice. The primary findings unearth an understanding that highlights the importance of bridging what is written in the literature and what authentic teaching and learning looks like in practice. Furthermore, the findings highlight the role of the facilitator in adopting a project-based practice that focusing on fostering community, setting up authentic learning contexts, maintaining a continuous personal investment in the growth of the teaching practice and setting up day-to-day structures that reflect a meaningful learning environment where students can construct their own learning.