A proposal for structuring PBL and its implications for learning among students in an undergraduate management degree program.

AutorDa Silva, Anielson Barbosa
CargoProblem-based learning
  1. Introduction

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is an active teaching strategy that allows the student to take the lead and become responsible for his or her learning process (Egido Galvez et al., 2007); it also provides learners the opportunity to work collaboratively and develop the ability to learn under their own direction (Hmelo-Silver, 2004; Gwee, 2009) as well as, over the course of their lives (Woods, 2006), solve problems through an investigative process, analyze data and propose solutions (de Souza and Verdinelli, 2014). In the PBL context, the teacher acts as a facilitator of collaborative learning (Graaff and Kolmos, 2003). PBL aims to encourage students to use their prior knowledge to make decisions with a focus on problem solving (Egido Galvez et al., 2007), which helps make them more reflective and responsible for their own learning (Hmelo-Silver, 2004).

    Silva (2016) proposes a system of learning through action for management education in Brazil and suggests five dimensions that should be considered in teaching and developing leadership: the learning environment, the experience of the teacher and students, learning . styles, reflective practice and active teaching strategies.

    PBL is one of the active teaching strategies proposed by Silva (2016) to make management students' learning more meaningful, as it helps students reflect on their own needs (Egido Galvez et al., 2007) and enhances their ability to develop independence as learners (Hmelo-Silver, 2004; Gwee, 2009).

    This paper came out of the research agenda of a project under the Universal Call for Proposals by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho National de Desenvolvimento CienUfico e Tecnoldgico--CNPq). This project aims to develop and disseminate innovative teaching strategies in the management program of a federal university in Northeastern Brazil, in the context of the Center for Research and Practice in Management (Observatorio de Pesquisa e Pratica em Administragao--OPPA), which was established in 2014 to create a learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students through "teaching-based research" or "research-based teaching." The OPPA has a 100 [m.sup.2] physical space that can be characterized as a hub for dynamic and innovative learning, as it fosters the creation of a learning environment that values the physical, behavioral, social and technological aspects that bring teachers and students closer together, as well as facilitates the learning process, as shown in the study by Silva and Santos (2015).

    This study is motivated by the need to assess how the adoption of an active teaching methodology enhances the learning process among management students. Thus, this paper aims to present a proposal for structuring the use of PBL as an active teaching strategy and to assess PBL's implications for student learning in two classes of an elective course in a management degree program. The study can help instructors to use PBL as a teaching strategy in a more structured manner. It achieves this by presenting the perceptions of students who experienced PBL in classes that combined theory with practice (Freitas, 2012) and reflection with action through a more experience-based approach. According to Gosling and Mintzberg (2003), the management field needs to break with more technically oriented education approaches so that students can develop the ability to adapt under contexts marked by uncertainty (Vasconcelos et al., 2013).

    In addition to this introduction, the paper is structured into five parts. Section 2 covers the theoretical framework, presenting some specific details about PBL and indicating the elements that make up its structure. The next section addresses the methodology used to understand the phenomenon being studied. Section 4 presents the proposal for structuring PBL in the context of the OPPA, which can aid its dissemination in other programs and institutions. Section 5 assesses the implications of PBL for student learning and identifies the factors that facilitate and limit its adoption as a teaching strategy. The last section includes some final reflections on the study.

  2. Theoretical framework

    PBL is considered to be an active teaching strategy, as PBL students are encouraged to take the lead in their own professional training and education. Its use in a teaching context allows the student to move beyond a passive role, to be exposed to a problem and to develop a sense of self-direction in search of the knowledge required to solve it (de Souza and Verdinelli, 2014). It is an educational strategy that takes into account the complex nature of learning (Savin-Baden and Major, 2004) and values the practical experience of learning because, as noted by Hmelo-Silver (2004), it is based on the educational approaches of William Heard Kilpatrick and John Dewey.

    PBL was disseminated in the medical school of McMaster University, Canada, in 1969, under the coordination of Howard S. Barrows (Gwee, 2009; Borges et al, 2014), as an innovative, radical strategy that ultimately became an educational trend. Gwee (2009) emphasizes that PBL aims to improve and optimize educational outcomes because it is student centered, collaborative, contextual, integrated and self-directed, and it promotes more reflective learning. According to Savin-Baden and Major (2004), the use of PBL can be affected by the structural and pedagogical environment in which it occurs, as it involves factors such as the subject matter, students, teachers and organizations.

    In their analysis of the definitions of PBL, Graaff and Kolmos (2003) distinguish among three levels: the central theoretical principles of learning, specific models based on PBL and various practices that follow the guidelines of traditional educational models but incorporate elements of PBL in their theories, models and practices. In terms of theoretical perspectives, PBL can be associated with an educational approach that takes a problem as the starting point for the learning process, which is based on perspectives such as student-centered learning, experience-based learning, activity-based learning, interdisciplinary learning, a focus on practical examples, and collaborative group learning.

    As a model, PBL includes the following components: the structure of the program curriculum, group-based learning and evaluation. Other models are based on project-based learning and whether the projects are associated with a task, a subject matter or a problem. The discussion of PBL as a practice involves the manner in which the strategy is implemented, with an emphasis on its goals, motivation, student engagement, the relationship between teaching strategy and the depth and complexity of learning, and the manner in which a student develops a more complex level of analytical understanding through a problem-based assignment. There are several paths to the practice of PBL, and teachers can empower students to develop more inductive or more deductive thought by relating their goals to a project on three levels: general structure, themes and types of problems or the formulation of proposals (Graaff and Kolmos, 2003).

    By understanding these levels of distinction within PBL, one perceives that they are integrated rather than unrelated, and therefore, teachers must understand the theoretical bases of PBL and how the strategy can be implemented in the context of teaching, as well as be clear about the roles of the participants. Some of these points are highlighted in Section 2.1.

    In their discussion on the basic principles of PBL grounded in an analysis of studies on the subject, Savin-Baden and Major (2004) indicate that PBL can be understood as a general educational strategy, as a philosophy or as an approach to teaching. The authors present the following parameters to aid in understanding, which they describe as broad areas of differentiation:

    (1) PBL's essential characteristics include the organization of integrated curricula and classes around problems, in addition to an emphasis on cognitive skills;

    (2) certain conditions facilitate PBL, such as small groups, tutorial instruction and active learning; and

    (3) PBL emphasizes results, such as the development of skills and the motivation to continue being a life-long learner.

    PBL requires the student to integrate various areas of knowledge, and it seeks to present real problems (Araujo and Sastre, 2009) to promote the development of skills for self-directed learning (de Souza and Verdinelli, 2014). According to Egido Galvez et al (2007), the method allows the student to be the center of learning, facilitates the development of self-awareness, makes use of motivation, requires the curriculum to be organized around holistic problems, promotes professional training in small group relationships and encourages learning skills.

    The use of PBL in management education is a way to allow the student to experience the context of professional life by solving problems related to the issues that arise in the course of a manager's professional activity. Hmelo-Silver (2004) believes that educators are interested in PBL because of its potential to motivate students, as well as its emphasis on active and collaborative learning (Escrivao Filho and Ribeiro, 2008) and the development of lifelong learning skills, management changes, teamwork, conflict resolution and problem solving (Woods, 2006). Identifying which skills or competencies are to be developed must be part of planning PBL activities, that is, the teacher should explain to the students what they can learn by using the PBL strategy. Thus, it is important to discuss the elements involved in the use of PBL.

    2.1 The elements that constitute the use of PBL

    There are several ways to use PBL in teaching, and this paper will describe the implementation of one way that can be employed in undergraduate and graduate programs in management. Table I shows various types of...

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