This study set out to analyze the learners' PBL experiences as a qualitative approach to their learning activities in problem-based learning(PBL), to identify what characteristics are reflected by the learning activities experienced by the learners in...
This study set out to analyze the learners' PBL experiences as a qualitative approach to their learning activities in problem-based learning(PBL), to identify what characteristics are reflected by the learning activities experienced by the learners in PBL, and to examine the meanings of PBL learning activities to the learners.
For those purposes, three research questions were set: first, what are the learning experiences of the learners in PBL? Second, how can learning activities be analyzed from the learners' learning experiences? And finally, what kind of meanings do the learners have for PBL?
Analyzed in the study were the reflective journals of 39 students taking a PBL teaching course at K and S University. They also did semi-structured interviews. Gathered data were analyzed in phenomenological ways. The research findings were as follows:
First, PBL was divided into the stage of introduction of instructions, provision of problems, exploration and performance, and completion of problems according to the nature of learning experiences. In the stage of introduction of instructions, the learners explored learning methods according to the previous experiences of learning and tried to adapt to the team. In the stage of provision of problems, they analyzed problems provided to solve them. In the stage of exploration and performance, they xperienced collaborative and self-directed learning through collaboration, division of works, and competition. Their self-directed learning started with perceiving that their own knowledge was lacking and involved planning and maintaining learning and reflecting it in everyday life. In the final stage of completion of problems, they reflected on their learning after solving the problems and reflected the results on other study and their everyday lives.
The second research question was about how to analyze the characteristics of learning activities with the learning experiences of the learners. The characteristics of PBL activities were learner-centered, complex and non-structured problems, collaborative and self-directed learning, and reflection. They were similar to the teaching-learning characteristics of constructivism, which explained about learner-centered, practical assignments, self-directed learning, collaborative learning, and the roles of teachers. Exploring learning methods, closely analyzing and solving problems, and reflecting after solving problems in PBL match the learning activities of learners in the stage of learning environments in constructivism. The analysis results of the characteristics of PBL confirm that the findings of the previous studies that reported PBL reflects constructivism.
The final research question was about the meanings that the learners had for PBL. It was examined what caused intrinsic motivation for PBL instructions among the learners. By arranging the learning experiences of the learners, it turned out that the learners did not stop at simply learning about PBL, reflected on their learning at the completion of learning to be motivated for the next learning situation, and increased the ability to judge what to supplement and consider. The ability helps the learners experience the next learning with more confidence, develop positive perceptions of learning, engage in more difficult learning through the positive perceptions of learning, thus serving as intrinsic motivation for learning.
In conclusion, the study finds that PBL allows for learning knowledge based on experiences, provides the learners with learning experiences with chances for reflection so that they can develop intrinsic motivation for learning through the critical thinking of positive and failing experiences with learning, and is a constructivist teaching-learning method to maintain learning.