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Problem- and Project-Based Learning in Diverse Settings: Reflections on 23 Years of Application

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Title: Problem- and Project-Based Learning in Diverse Settings: Reflections on 23 Years of Application
Language: English
Authors: João Alberto Arantes do Amaral
Source: Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education. 2025 13(1):25-48.
Availability: Aalborg University Press. Skjernvej 4A, 2.sal, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark. Web site: http://journals.aau.dk/index.php/pbl
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 24
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Problem Based Learning, Student Projects, Active Learning, Higher Education, In Person Learning, Distance Education, Blended Learning, MOOCs, Cultural Differences, Diversity, Affordances, Barriers, Foreign Countries, Student Role, College Role, Learner Engagement, School Community Relationship, College Faculty, College Students, Governance, Resistance to Change
Geographic Terms: Brazil
ISSN: 2246-0918
Abstract: This article presents an autoethnographic account of 23 years of teaching experience using problem- and project-based learning (ProbBL and ProjBL) in higher education, across face-to-face, blended, distance learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) formats. Drawing on 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and personal teaching notes, I systematically analyse how PBL approaches were developed, adapted, and implemented in diverse institutional and cultural contexts. These published works, based on both quantitative and qualitative research, serve as reflective artifacts through which I revisit and reinterpret my teaching practice. Using content mapping and thematic coding, I identify recurring tensions and enabling conditions in the application of PBL over time. Key findings highlight the importance of institutional support, student autonomy, emotional engagement, and community partnerships in sustaining active learning practices. Conversely, structural challenges such as faculty precarity, bureaucratic rigidity, and cultural resistance to pedagogical change often undermine these efforts. This article contributes to the literature by foregrounding the often-invisible institutional and emotional labor involved in sustaining transformative teaching practices. It also offers practical recommendations for educators and academic leaders seeking to advance PBL in complex and evolving educational environments.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1492627
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Aalborg University Press. Skjernvej 4A, 2.sal, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark. Web site: http://journals.aau.dk/index.php/pbl
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  Data: This article presents an autoethnographic account of 23 years of teaching experience using problem- and project-based learning (ProbBL and ProjBL) in higher education, across face-to-face, blended, distance learning, and massive open online course (MOOC) formats. Drawing on 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and personal teaching notes, I systematically analyse how PBL approaches were developed, adapted, and implemented in diverse institutional and cultural contexts. These published works, based on both quantitative and qualitative research, serve as reflective artifacts through which I revisit and reinterpret my teaching practice. Using content mapping and thematic coding, I identify recurring tensions and enabling conditions in the application of PBL over time. Key findings highlight the importance of institutional support, student autonomy, emotional engagement, and community partnerships in sustaining active learning practices. Conversely, structural challenges such as faculty precarity, bureaucratic rigidity, and cultural resistance to pedagogical change often undermine these efforts. This article contributes to the literature by foregrounding the often-invisible institutional and emotional labor involved in sustaining transformative teaching practices. It also offers practical recommendations for educators and academic leaders seeking to advance PBL in complex and evolving educational environments.
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