Dr. Joseph Krajcik, Professor of Science Education, University of Michigan

Teaching science through a project-based approach allows students opportunities to explore real world problems, make connections between various ideas that they might not have otherwise made, participate in a variety of scientific practices, and see how the principles and concepts of science can explain important and various phenomena in their world. Project-based science also provides teachers with one way to meet the call of the National Science Education Standards that states that inquiry should be the primary mode of instruction for teaching science. Yet, teaching science through this approach brings many challenges even for the most experienced science teachers. Although using a project-based approach appears to provide many opportunities for students as well as for teachers, we need to weigh the benefits and challenges and ask: What evidence exists that teaching science in a project-based approach helps students meet important learning goals? How does the achievement of students who learn science in a project-based environment compare to those who don’t learn science in this type of environment? In this talk, I will explain the features project-based science, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of teaching in a project-based approach, and examine the evidence for and against students learning science in this type of environment.