Rocket to Creativity: A Field Experience in Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of a field experience in problem-based (PBL) and project-based learning (PjBL) on pre-service and in-service teachersΓÇÖ conceptions of experiential learning. ┬áIn our study, participants had been enrolled in a hybrid class that included an online component in which they learned about PBL and PjBL and an experiential component in which they facilitated PBL and PjBL with children in grades 1-9 during a one-week field experience on a university campus. ┬áThe goal of the field experience is for teachers to change their practice from didactic to inquiry and to promote critical and creative thinking in their students. ┬áWe used a case study method that involved data derived from six different sources: online structured interviews, follow-up telephone interviews, discussion board posts, reflections, course feedback, and observations.┬á The main theme that emerged from the data analysis was the critical role the field experience played in applying theory to practice.┬á Sub-themes included understanding the process of implementing PBL and PjBL, mastering the logistics of PBL and PjBL, becoming facilitators, and collaborating with partners.┬á Results showed that the field experience gave the teachers the ΓÇ£courageΓÇ¥ to experiment with a student-centered methodology.┬