Ecological perspectives surrounding the design of self-determination-enhanced problem-based learning

What is it about?

The benefits of self-determination-enhanced problem-based learning (PBL) are presented in this chapter, along with its potential contribution to teaching students with disabilities advanced learning skills. Specifically, the findings of an extensive research synthesis are discussed that examined the relationships between PBL and self-determination and how they can be utilized to teach advanced learning skills to students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Seeing a self-determination-enhanced PBL process as an important instructional design for these students, a self-determination-enhanced PBL-based conceptual framework is proposed.

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Why is it important?

Despite its simple premise and the benefits and fairness of placing students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, the practice creates a number of challenges. Those with special needs often require both support and accommodations if they are to succeed along with their peers without disabilities in the general education setting. Altering how teachers, schools, and educational systems think about the needs of students, prompting educators to reexamine their pedagogy and the instructional design of their learning content to meet the needs of their students. Constructivist approaches have been advocated, for example, because they have been found to enhance students’ content knowledge, problem-solving, and higher-order thinking skills by having students examine and solve problems through collaboration and active engagement with a focus on self-determination in their own learning. Overall, the findings point to a trend whereby self-determination-enhanced PBL is growing among teacher education programs for students with disabilities in inclusive settings.

Perspectives