Engineering instructor perception of Problem and Project Based Learning: Learning, success factors and difficulties

Abstract

This work considers three research objectives: to analyze the perception of instructors of the incidence ofPBL/PjBL on content learning and skill development; to identify the success factors that they believepromote learning when using them, as well as their importance; and to identify the difficulties they face,and the frequency with which they occur. The responses to a questionnaire administered to 50 instructorswho participated in a specific training program were analyzed. The results show that the instructors’perception is that both models contribute to a better understanding of the contents with regard to theirpractical application, and to a high level of skill development in their students, with the most favoredbeing group work, decision-making, autonomous learning and problem solving. The instructors considerimportant success factors to be student involvement in their own learning from the very beginning,feedback from the professor, the tasks having been well-designed and team work and cooperation amongstudents. The most common difficulties identified in our study correspond to the excessive workloadassociated with monitoring the students, and managing and developing within the established time theplanning of their tasks and activities, although there is a medium level of incidence in this regard, and itmay be due to the characteristics of the training program received. Exploring these aspects in greaterdepth in future investigations could facilitate the development of more effective teaching practices.