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Habitus, Scaffolding, and Problem-Based Learning: Why Teachers’ Experiences as Students Matter

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Book cover The Role of Criticism in Understanding Problem Solving

Abstract

Despite evidence that it can help students learn higher-order thinking skills and gain deep content knowledge, problem-based learning (PBL) is not deployed on a large scale in K-12 classrooms. This conceptual chapter explores teacher’s past experiences, and resulting habitus, to explain the minimal extent of PBL in K-12 schools. Central to teachers’ abilities to implement PBL is their ability to provide scaffolding, and their habitus may interfere with this process. Implications for teacher education and teacher change are discussed.

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Acknowledgment

This work was partially supported by National Science Foundation Early CAREER Grant # 0953046. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily represent official positions of NSF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA

    Brian R. Belland

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  1. Brian R. Belland
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Correspondence to Brian R. Belland .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Washington and Jefferson College, 60 South Lincoln St., Washington, 15301, Pennsylvania, USA

    Samuel B. Fee

  2. Utah State University, 2830 Old Main Hill, Logan, 84322, Utah, USA

    Brian R. Belland

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Belland, B.R. (2012). Habitus, Scaffolding, and Problem-Based Learning: Why Teachers’ Experiences as Students Matter. In: Fee, S., Belland, B. (eds) The Role of Criticism in Understanding Problem Solving. Explorations in the Learning Sciences, Instructional Systems and Performance Technologies, vol 5. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3540-2_7

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