Enacting Problem-Posing Education through Project-Based Learning

Author(s): Nadia Behizadeh

Source: The English Journal, Vol. 104, No. 2 (November 2014), pp. 99-104
Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24484422
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Nadia Behizadeh

This article promotes

Enacting Problem project-based learning in
English education as a
Posing Education way to combat the loss of
cultural relevancy under
through Project-Based the pressures of
standardization.
Learning

In the last 20 years, federal account- and historical ways of responding to it. During com
ability policies have contributed to munity mapping a week before the conversation
a high-stakes testing environment that follows, my students walked through neighbor
encouraging teacher-centered class- hoods adjacent to the school and photographed posi
rooms and the teaching of basic skills in isolation, tive and negative artifacts. Students were not told
which has resulted in narrowed curricula (Au; Min- what was "positive" or "negative," but were instead
trop and Sunderman; Ravitch). Although these pol- asked to make their own choices and provide a writ
icies were intended to improve instruction, teachers ten rationale. We then examined these artifacts as a
are less likely to create innovative and culturally class, celebrating what was positive and identifying a
relevant curricula when textbooks and standardized problem we wanted to solve.
curricula are required by the state or school district To pick one problem on which to focus, stu
(Apple; Stairs, Donnell, and Dunn). This trend dents worked in small groups to develop a list of
toward standardization with its focus on basic skills problems. We then posted these lists on the walls,
conflicts with the idea of problem-posing educa- and I gave each student three stickers so they could
tion grounded in authentic inquiry. Although it is "vote" for their top three issues. By the end of this
important for students to meet standards and pass activity, problems related to violence, particularly
high-stakes exams, as educators, we must ensure gang violence, had a chain of colored stickers next
that we are cultivating critical-thinking skills, both to them, clearly identifying this topic as a critical
for our students and for ourselves. Project-based one for our student population. Based on their col
learning, a specific pedagogy consistent with Paulo lected artifacts, our class readings on ancient civili
Freire's problem-posing theory of education, is one zations, and their own Internet research, one group
way to create student-centered learning experiences had decided we needed to implement an honor
that allow students to construct knowledge and code in Oakland similar to Bushido used by samu
learn critical-thinking skills. rai warriors in ancient Japan. I sat down to discuss
with Esmeralda, Devon, George, Ava, and Travon
how they would make this argument in their writ
A Glimpse of Project-Based Learning ing. Our conversation went something like this:
Before explaining the theory behind project-based "Esmeralda, why does Oakland need Bush
learning, I want to offer a glimpse of what this peda- ido?" I asked, leaning forward in one of the student
gogy looks like by presenting a scene from my middle desks we had arranged in a circle,
school teaching experience. In one project, students "Well, we got so much gang activity
were asked to identify an issue in the community and here. There's too much violence," she stated
then develop a solution that drew on current research matter-of-factly.

English Journal 104.2 (2014): 99-104 99

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Enacting Problem-Posing Education through Project-Based Learning

"Yeah," chimed in George, "something needs the next sections, I review project-based learning
to change." and problem-posing education, offer another exam
"Will this code of conduct change anything? pie from my classroom, and t
What did you write down as your reasons for this why student-centered in
proposal?" I asked. ters, especially in a time when high-stakes testing
Devon opened his notebook to where he and his encourages standardization of instruct
group members had listed support for their proposal
and read, "Our first reason is that if local gangs fol
Project-Based Learning
lowed Bushido, there would be less killing." He then
added, "We found some numbers on a website about The conversation shared earlier occurr
murders in Oakland that we were going to use." my first year teaching at United for Su
"Ahh ... You've piqued my interest, but I (UFSA), a school in the Fruitvale area
want to know more," I said. "Why would there be California. Under the leadership of o
less killing?" Phil Cotty, we had designed a project-based learning
Ava replied, "Because one of the ideas of (PBL) school. According to Thom
Bushido is being calm, and, I don't know, maybe Larmer, and Jason Louis Ravitz, P
that would help?" teaching method that engages students in learning
"Yeah, if people could pause and think knowledge and skills through an exte
through their actions, then maybe, you know, they process structured around complex,
wouldn't just shoot someone for messing with tions and carefully designed produ
them," Travon added. (4). Project-based learning often starts with student
"We haven't figured out, like, exactly how questions related to a teacher-generated essen
this would work. But if we could somehow get the question, and then allows students to answer t
gang leaders to see how Bushido would help them, questions by engaging in a research project. Essen
maybe it could work," Esmeralda said. questions are carefully designed to be stimulat
In this excerpt from a larger project, a few open-ended, and complex, as well as clearly
things were happening. First, violence in the com- nected to the discipline. For example, the essen
munity was a problem identified by students rather question for the community mapping project w
than assigned by the teacher. Second, after iden- "How can we use history to improve the present
tifying the problem, students designed their own This question has many potential answers and, th
solutions, using text, their peers, the teacher, and it invites discussion and debate rather than mem
Internet resources as tools for their inquiry. Inquiry zation of a pre-formulated response,
was student-directed but teacher-facilitated. Similar to problem-based learning models use
However, I was not only a facilitator in this in medical schools, project-based learning involve
classroom; I was a participant. In many ways, I trying to solve complicated problems that do
was constantly learning from what my students have easy solutions or a single answer. Often, th
brought to the classroom from their lives. Together problems are more than just representative of
with our 31 brains (my 30 students' brains plus world issues; they are actual issues students w
my brain), the classroom community was much to resolve in the world. Like other student-center
more powerful in researching problems and finding approaches to learning such as experiential ed
solutions than we each were alone. I am suggest- cation (Dewey) and participatory action rese
ing that the method we were using, project-based (Torre and Fine), PBL allows students to learn b
learning (PBL), is a pedagogy aligned with Freire's constructing their own understandings in collab
problem-posing education. For teachers who want ration with peers,
to embrace the philosophy of Freire and do more
than teach students to memorize facts—for teach- _ . . „ _ .
, , j i Problem-Posing Education
ers who want to make sure students are learning °
to think deeply and critically about their world— When implemented well, pro
PBL offers one method of achieving these goals. In is a form of Freire's problem-po

100 November 2014

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Nadia Behizadeh

Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire wrote, "Knowledge know? Carlyn, Aaron, and I were excited because
emerges only through invention and re-invention, this was a real question with complicated answers
through the restless, impatient, continuing, hope- that we felt would stimulate debate,
ful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with As noted, a key component of PBL is the
the world, and with each other" (72). Students learn teacher establishing essential questions to guide
through inquiry about aspects of the world around inquiry (Markham, Larmer, and Ravitz). To further
them, and one way to enact student-centered illustrate this, I offer another
inquiry is through project-based learning. vignette. At the beginning In addition to being a
Freire describes the opposite of problem- of this project, I asked myhighly qualified teacher
posing education as the banking model. In the sixth-grade students the ques
by knowing the content
banking model of teaching, students are seen as tion, "What is a researcher?"
area thoroughly, a highly
empty vessels to be filled with knowledge, rather My students wrote for a few
effective teacher knows
than as co-participants with the teacher and other minutes, and then we shared
community members in the construction of knowl- our responses. Always eager, when to listen to the

edge. This method of presenting decontextualized Darius started us off with thestudents.
information to be memorized is not only disen- first definition of a researcher:
gaging, but cognitive research indicates that the "Someone that gets information off the computer,
approach does not work (Gee). reads books, and writes." After I wrote this down so
Connected to PBL are Freire's notions of everyone could see Darius's idea, six other students
"teacher-student" and "students-teachers," which offered their take on the meaning of researcher.
posit that teachers and students both teach and , ,, ■ . r u c »u _
1 A person who does a lot or research tor them
learn in any educational endeavor. In Freire's words, s
"The teacher is no longer merely the-one-who
teaches, but one who is himself taught in dialogue A
with the students, who in turn while being taught A
also teach" (80). Problem-posing education enacted tig
through PBL harnesses the enormous power of A , • , . >• , ■
ö r A researcher is a person who studies things
multiple minds working together. Over time, I from
have realized that I am one of a body of experts in a
classroom, and I have worked to permanently shift A ^sear
j 1 ■ , r 1 • artifacts. (Davonte)
models in my mind: from teacher as guru, împar
ter of wisdom, to teacher as listener, facilitator,
and learner. In addition to being a highly qualifie
teacher by knowing the content area thoroughly, a j
highly effective teacher knows when to listen to the Build
students. j pointed out a few othe
might be familiar. I recorded my
Developing the Teacher-Student same waY I
and Students-Teachers brainstorm: by typing in the projected document,
"All of these are researchers: historians, anthropolo
So how do we start this process? Quite simply, by gjsts> geologistS; archeologists, biologists . . . (M
starting with what students know and what they ßehizadeh)." Many students had their hands rais
want to know. At the beginning of the school year, a( th|s point> and j chose three students who had
my class was about to embark on a research project participated yet. They said:
about the Maidu Indians, a group native to Oak
land. The other two Humanities teachers, Car- A researcher is a person who looks for clue
lyn Scheinfeld and Aaron Gardner, and I wanted (Juliana)
to start with an essential question that we would A researcher studies what is happening no
return to again and again: How do we know what we or in the past. (Bernice)

English Journal 101

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Enacting Problem-Posing Education through Project-Based Learning

A researcher is a person who tries to find new students to confirm that what I wrote was what
things. (Phoung) they had said. Yet, without the aid of the "expert,"
A , . • TII . , , • , , , the students were able to come up with specific
At this point, Hakeem raised his hand and, ' 1
. , , ■ , ■ r i j « examples, feed off of other ideas, and develop an
with a concerned expression on his race, asked, Are r 1
, ,, . , u ' 1» t !• j «tu > answer on their own—an answer that offered more
they all saying the same thing? 1 replied, That s
, , . T>11 j • complexity than having them simply write down a
a good observation. 111 write down your question r 3 ° r '
, , • , , , , definition of researcher in their notebooks. In addi
în the brainstorm so we can think about how our
•j j t » * 1 i Tj cr , tion to amplifying our storming power by using our
ideas are connected. I think that Bernice offered an .
j ci - . 31 brains, in this vignette students became teacher
interesting revision to your statement and hliots °
, , , j u for me and for one another. By posing this question
statement, Hakeem: that a researcher can study the 1 r ° ^
,, , » ai u u i c u to the class, I was challenged to examine my own
present as well as the past. Although a lot of the 0 1
-, j • • idea of a researcher and evaluate each contribution
statements could be considered repetitive, as part
of the process, I allowed each statement to stand against my prior knowledge,
and pointed out how ideas were developing. By not
editing student responses, and including my own Why Does Student-Driven Inqu
responses as well, students could see how the class Matter?
as a whole was thinking. In this activity, we were
. r h , • c 21 l • Project-based learning or any problem-posing
using the full storming power of our 31 brains. ' & 1 r r &
c. i rr i i ■ ■ j r u- method of instruction is harder to plan and mess
rive students offered their ideas after this r
i , . . ier to implement than handing out worksheets or
point, and one can see the resonance between the 1 &
cr » 1 rr following activities in a textbook. So why bother?
new offerings and the past offerings: & '
The first reason is that authe
A researcher is a person who studies to find impo
out an answer. (Khalilah) a number of e
A researcher is a person who looks for dino- for au
saur bones. (Martin) student engageme
A researcher is a person that can find one clue in
and then can search for another. (Kenyon) spec
. , . , i- rr ran; Purcell-Gates, Duke, and Martineau; Sisserson,
A researcher is a person who studies stuff
about the earth and how the earth became. Manning, Knepler, and Jol
(Keisha) to scuclcnts being able to connect what happens in
school to their experiences outside of school. When
A historian is related to an archeologist. , , , , ,
& tasks are authentic to students, they are more than
(Julio) . , ,
just the m
Darius, who sta
the final contribu
of a researcher
their mind." We c
returned to i
Providing all stude
try to reach a
with a rigorous,
tion of a th
resea
provoking
was curriculu
not to ge
arrive
nothing lessat a
than"ra
to grapple
justice issue. wit
construct and
nition that was
ideas are in the world. more fact-oriented than thinking-oriented, the
In this example, I did not say very much, Standards for English Language Arts developed
except to offer clarifying statements and to ask International Reading Association and the Na

102 November 2014

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Nadia Behizadeh

Council of Teachers of English (IRA/NCTE) offer

thinking—actively using their prior knowledge to
build new knowledge that may be new—even to
twelve broad standards for English instruction that
the teacher.
do not reduce the idea of literacy to "an exhaustive,
incoherent compendium" (viii). In particular, stan During a pivotal moment at a workshop a
number of years ago, a classroom teacher in the
dard seven emphasizes the importance of students
group noted how she was struggling to get her
posing their own problems, conducting research,
and disseminating the results to real audiences.
students to think. One of the facilitators replied,
The authors stress that students need to be able to "I have to say this because I think Freire would
pose and solve problems not only in the realm of need to point this out: our kids are thinking all the
in-school experiences but also in real life. The Com time!" The question is not how do we get our stu
mon Core State Standards also appear to be oridents to think, but how do we build our teaching
ented to larger processes and learning experiences. off of what students are already thinking—what they
For example, standards for middle school writing know and want to know. Scripted curricula and
emphasize the importance of students producing other standardized teaching materials that do not
and distributing writing, as well as researching start with the knowledge and questions students
self-generated research questions that have mul bring to school are not effective tools for learning.
tiple responses. The answer is problem-posing education, and one
However, it is still conceivable to approach any method of enacting this answer is project-based
set of standards with a banking method approach. learning. ($)
It is up to educators to choose pedagogical methods
that meet standards through high-quality instruc Works Cited
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Enacting Problem-Posing Education through Project-Based Learning

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Nadia Behizadeh is a former middle school teacher and an assistant professor of adolescent literacy at Georgia State Univer
sity in Atlanta, Georgia. Her research interests include authentic writing instruction, project-based learning, and sociocultural
writing assessment. Contact the author at [email protected].

READWRITETHINK CONNECTION Lisa Storm Fink, RWT

The article highlights project-based learning and giving students choi

their school and community. In "Communicating on Local Issues: Expl
after brainstorming a list of local issues, students select and research
and print sources. Next, students review the concepts of purpose an
their selected issue in letters to two different audiences addressing t
the audience in each letter. Students work with peer groups as they u
ters. Finally, letters are published using an online, interactive Letter
ers. http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-pla
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-pl
.html

104 November 2014

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