Teaching Dilemmas and Student Motivation in Project-based Learning in Secondary Education
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article aims to describe and analyze the dilemmas facing teachers when fostering student motivation in project-based learning (PjBL). The authors developed a project in secondary education through an action research approach. The different action research cycles aimed to solve dilemmas throughout the project and interpret them in terms of student motivation through the self-determination theory. According to this theory, autonomy, relatedness and competence are three psychological needs that, if fulfilled in the classroom, will lead to greater intrinsic motivation. The results revealed that one of the main characteristics of PjBL, namely, presenting the final product to an external audience, led to a tight schedule. This time-pressure context generated the majority of dilemmas, which affected the development of the three basic psychological needs, especially competence and autonomy.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
1. Publication and Promotion: In consideration of the Publisher’s agreement to publish the Work, Author hereby grants and assigns to Publisher the non-exclusive right to print, publish, reproduce, or distribute the Work throughout the world in all means of expression by any method now known or hereafter developed, including electronic format, and to market or sell the Work orany part of it as Publisher sees fit. Author further grants Publisher the right to use Author’s name in association with the Work inpublished form and in advertising and promotional materials
2. Copyright: Copyright of the Work remains in Author’s name.
3. Prior Publication and Attribution: Author agrees not to publish the Work in print form prior to publication of the Work by the Publisher. Author agrees to cite, by author, title, and publisher, the original Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning publication when publishing the Work elsewhere
4. Author Representations: The Author represents and warrants that the Work:
(a) is the Author’s original Work and that Author has full power to enter into this Agreement;
(b) does not infringe the copyright or property of another;
(c) contains no material which is obscene, libelous, defamatory or previously published, in whole or in part.
Author shall indemnify and hold Publisher harmless against loss of expenses arising from breach of any such warranties.
5. Licensing and Reuse: Reuse of the published Work will be governed by a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0/). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon the Work non-commercially; although new works must acknowledge the original Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning publication and be non-commercial, they do not have to be licensed on the same terms.
References
Allison, P., Gray, S., Sproule, J., Nash, C., Martindale, R., & Wang, J. (2015). Exploring contributions of project-based learning to health and wellbeing in secondary education. Improving Schools, 18(3), 207–220.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480215599298
Berlak, A., & H. Berlak (1981). Dilemmas of Schooling: Teaching and Social Change. Methuen.
Blumenfeld, P. C., Soloway, E., Marx, R. W., Krajcik, J. S., Guzdial, M., & Palincsar, A. (1991). Motivating project-based learning: Sustaining the doing, supporting the learning. Educational Psychologist, 26, 369–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1991.9653139
Botella, A. M. & Ramos, P. (2019). La teoría de la autodeterminación: un marco motivacional para el aprendizaje basado en proyectos. Contextos educativos: Revista de educación, 24, 253-269.https://doi.org/10.18172/con.3576
Britzman, D. P. (1986). Cultural myths in the making of a teacher: Biography and social structure in teacher education. Harvard Educational Review, 56(4), 442-456.
Burgess, M., Enzle, M. E., & Schmaltz, R. (2004). Defeating the potentially deleterious effects of externally imposed deadlines: Practitioners’ rules-of-thumb. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(7), 868–877. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167204264089
Cabaroglu, N. & Tillema, H. H. (2011). Teacher educator dilemmas: a concept to study pedagogy. Teachers and Teaching, 17(5), 559-573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.602210
deCharms, R. (1968). Personal causation. Academic Press.
Chee, Y. S., Mehrotra, S. & Ong, J. C. (2015). Authentic game-based learning and teachers’ dilemmas in reconstructing professional practice. Learning, Media and Technology, 40(4), 514-535.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2014.953958
Cheon, S. H., Reeve, J. & Vansteenkiste, M. (2020). When teachers learn how to provide classroom structure in an autonomy-supportive way: Benefits to teachers and their students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 90, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.103004
Chiang, C. L. & Lee, H. (2016). The effect of project-based learning on learning motivation and problem-solving ability of vocational high school students. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(9), 709–712. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJIET.2016.V6.779
Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum.
Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The What and Why of goal pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2016) Optimizing students’ motivation in the era of testing and pressure: A self-determination theory perspective. In: Liu W., Wang J., Ryan R. (eds),Building autonomous learners (pp. 9-29). Springer.
DeLapp, Steven. (1980). Dilemmas of Teaching: A Self- Reflective Analysis of Teaching in a Third-Fourth Grade Informal Classroom. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Ohio State University.
Denicolo, P. (1996). Productively confronting dilemmas in educational practice and research. In M. Kompf, W. R. Bond, D. Dworet and R. T. Boak (eds.). Changing research and practice: teachers’ professionalism, identities and knowledge (pp. 57–65). Falmer Press.
Deuchar, R. (2008). Facilitator, director or critical friend? Contradiction and congruence in doctoral supervision styles. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(4), 489-500. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510802193905
Dole, S., Bloom, L., & Kowalske, K. (2016). Transforming pedagogy: Changing perspectives from teacher- centered to learner-centered. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning,10(1).https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1538
Dvorak, R. (2012). Motivation towards learning: a study of Alberni District Secondary School's project-based learning Grade 9 program. Unpublished dissertation. Vancouver Island University.
English, M. C., & Kitsantas, A. (2013). Supporting student self-regulated learning in Problem- and Project-Based Learning. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 7(2), 128-159.https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1339
Enyedy, N., J. Goldberg, & K. Welsh (2006). Complex dilemmas of identity and practice. Science Education, 90(1), 68–93. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20096
Gillies, R. M., & Boyle, M. (2010). Teachers’ reflections on cooperative learning: Issues of implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 933–940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.10.034
Gnambs, T., & Hanfstingl, B. (2016). The decline of academic motivation during adolescence: an accelerated longitudinal cohort analysis on the effect of psychological need satisfaction, Educational Psychology,36(9), 1691-1705, https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2015.1113236
Holmes, V. L.& Hwang, Y. (2016). Exploring the effects of project-based learning in secondary mathematics education. The Journal of Educational Research, 109(5), 449-463.https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.979911
Honig, B. (1996). Difference, dilemmas, and the politics of home. In S. Benhabib (Ed.), Democracy and Difference. Contesting the Boundaries of the Political (pp. 257–277). Princeton University Press.
Hui, W. K. Y. (2016). Motivating native Hawaiians by project-based learning: A narrative inquiry. Doctoral dissertation. University of Phoenix.
Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (2000). Participatory action research. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 559–603). London: Sage.
Keren, R. (2005). Action research: Student teachers coping with professional dilemmas. Doctoral thesis. University of Leicester.
Khan, S. (2018). Dilemmas in educational innovation. Unpublished doctoral thesis. Massey University.
Koestner, R., Ryan, R.M., Bernieri, F., & Holt, K. (1984). Setting limits on children’s behavior: The differential effects of controlling versus informational styles on children’s intrinsic motivation and creativity. Journal of Personality, 54, 233-248.
Krijgsman, C., Mainhard, T., Tartwijk, J. V., Borghouts, L., Vansteenkiste, M., Aelterman, N., & Haerens, L. (2019). Where to go and how to get there: Goal clarification, process feedback and students’ need satisfaction and frustration from lesson to lesson. Learning and Instruction, 61, 1-11.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2018.12.005
Lam, S., Cheng, R. W. & Ma, W. Y. K. (2009). Teacher and student intrinsic motivation in project-based learning. Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, 37(6), 565-578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-008-9070-9
Lampert, M. (1985). How do teachers manage to teach? Perspectives on problems in practice. Harvard Educational Review, 55, 178-194.
Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2010). Eight essentials for Project-based learning. Buck Institute for Education.
Liu, W. C., Wong, A. F. L., Divaharan, S., Peer, J., Quek, C. L., & Williams, M. D. (2006). Students’ intrinsic motivation in project-based learning using an asynchronous discussion platform. Educational Research Journal, 21(2), 217-234.
Marquette, T., & Bailey, K. M. (2017). Incorporating performing arts projects into the k-8 curriculum. New York State TESOL Journal, 4(2), 1-19.
McKernan, J. (1991). Curriculum action research: a handbook of methods and resources for the reflective practitioner. Kogan Page.
Niemiec, C. P., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the classroom: Applying self-determination theory to educational practice. Theory and Research in Education, 7, 133–144.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878509104318
Pareja, N. & Margalef, L. (2013). Learning from dilemmas: teacher professional development through collaborative action and reflection. Teachers and Teaching, 19(1), 18-32.https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2013.744196
Patall, E. A., Steingut, R. R., Vasquez, A. C., Trimble, S. S., Pituch, K. A., & Freeman, J. L. (2018). Daily autonomy supporting or thwarting and students’ motivation and engagement in the high school science classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110(2), 269–288. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000214
Pedersen, S. (2003). Motivational orientation in a problem-based learning environment. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 14, 51–77.
Pekrun, R. (2006). The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice. Educational Psychology Review,18, 315–341.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-006-9029-9
Perrenoud, Ph. (1998). Réussir ou comprendre? Les dilemmes classiques d’une démarche de projet. Université de Genève. Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l’éducation.
Porath, S. L. (2016). Conceptual, pedagogical, cultural, and political dilemmas of implementing a constructivist workshop approach to teaching literacy. Teachers and Teaching, 22(7), 879-891.https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2016.1185822
Puu, T. (2015). Perfection in art. In T. Puu (Ed.), Arts, Sciences, and Economics (pp. 119-157). Springer-Verlag.
Reeve, J. (2009). Why teachers adopt a controlling motivating style toward students and how they can become more autonomy supportive. Educational Psychologist, 44, 159 –175. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00461520903028990
Reeve, J. (2016). Autonomy-supportive teaching: What it is, how to do it. In J. C. K. Wang, W. C. Liu, & R. M. Ryan’s (Eds.), Building autonomous learners: Perspectives from research and practice using self-determination theory (pp. 129-152). Springer.
Remijan, K. W. (2017). Project-Based Learning and Design-Focused Projects to Motivate Secondary Mathematics Students. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1520
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2004). Overview of self-determination theory: An organismic dialectical perspective. In E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 3–33).University of Rochester Press.
Ryan, R. M., & Weinstein, N. (2009). Undermining quality teaching and learning: A self-determination theory perspective on high-stakes testing. Theory and Research in Education, 7(2), 224-233.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878509104327
Scager, K., Akkerman, S. F., Pilot, A. & Wubbels, T. (2017). Teacher dilemmas in challenging students in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 22(3), 318-335, https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2016.1248392
Shapira-Lishchinsky, O. (2011). Teachers’ critical incidents: Ethical dilemmas in teaching practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(3), 648-656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.11.003
Skinner, E. A., Furrer, C., Marchand, G., & Kindermann, T. A. (2008). Engagement and disaffection in the classroom: Part of a larger motivational dynamic? Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 765–781. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0012840
Sparks, C., Dimmock, J., Lonsdale, C., & Jackson, B. (2016). Modeling indicators and outcomes of students’ perceived teacher relatedness support in high school physical education. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 26, 71-82.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.06.004
Sparks, C., Dimmock, J., Whipp, P., Lonsdale, C., & Jackson, B. (2015). Getting connected: High school physical education teacher behaviors that facilitate students’ relatedness support perceptions. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 4, 219-236.https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000039
Suter, W. N. (2012). Qualitative data, analysis, and design. In Suter, W. N. Introduction to educational research: A critical thinking approach (pp. 342-386). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Vansteenkiste, M., Ryan, R.M. & Soenens, B. (2020). Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions. Motivation and Emotion, 44, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019-09818-1
Wang, C. K. J., Liu, W. C., Koh, C., Tan, O. S., & Ee, J. (2011). A motivational analysis of project work in Singapore using selfdetermination theory. International Journal of Research and Review, 7(1), 45-66
Winter, R, (1982). Dilemma Analysis: A contribution to methodology for action research, Cambridge Journal of Education, 12(3), 161- 174. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764820120303
Wurdinger, S., Haar, J., Hugg, R., & Bezon, J. (2007). A qualitative study using project-based learning in a mainstream middle school. Improving Schools, 10(2), 150–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480207078048