PBL integrates learning across disciplines as students are often required to use reading and writing skills in recording their results and presenting their solutions. Additionally, PBL presents real-world problems for study and discovery, which leads to increased understanding and performance on achievement tests. PBL gives students in-depth understanding of their experiments, which leads to retention and deeper understanding. It also helps students develop authentic investigation skills and increases student engagement, as they are able to tailor their work to their individual academic backgrounds and skills.
Traditional science education teaches facts and presents problems after students have learned a concept. In PBL, the problems are constructed as questions, and the facts are discovered. PBL is driven by inquiry and student exploration with teacher facilitation. Research in the science classroom can be either primary or secondary. Students may design their own experiments and record data, or they may research and process data from other completed experiments. A science journal allows students to record each step of their investigations as the projects unfold.
While creativity is important in PBL, there is a basic process followed in lessons. Students are presented with a problem and encouraged to ask questions. The questions lead to a conceptualization of the problem and the creation of possible hypotheses. Once a hypothesis is chosen, a plan for investigation is created. Experimentation and data collection follow with analysis of results. At this point, some traditional teaching may take place to help students understand their results. Finally, students develop a response to their original question and a means of presenting it to their peers.
Transforming from a traditional classroom to a PBL classroom requires some adjustments. It is important that the classroom environment encourages collaboration. Questions and inquiry should be part of the daily experience as a model for student curiosity. Basic knowledge of necessary information and procedures should already be in place. PBL should be the next logical step in student learning, and students should not be asked to design experiments with no context for understanding. Meeting with students to discuss progress should happen frequently, and students should have access to all necessary resources before the project begins.