Meeting the needs of middle school mathematics students in charter schools: An examination of problem-based learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered educational approach that is rooted in the constructivist view of learning. It has a long history of use in medical schools throughout the world and has made its way to the K-12 educational setting across a few disciplines. However, PBL is not widespread throughout curriculums in middle school classrooms. This qualitative research study was designed to understand how charter middle school mathematics teachers meet the learning needs of middle school students using PBL methods, strategies, and techniques and how they experience success where 80% of their students score proficiency in mathematics on the state high stakes test. The study examined the use of PBL methods, strategies, and techniques in three different urban charter schools where teachers teach mathematics in the middle school classroom and how they met the learning needs of middle school students. Six middle school mathematics teachers were surveyed using a series of semi-structured one-on-one interview questions about the use of PBL methods, strategies, and techniques and how they experienced success. This study addressed the role of the teacher and the role of the student in the middle school classroom using a PBL approach. Survey data were analyzed with the intent to explore what PBL methods, strategies, and techniques are used to meet the learning needs of middle school students in mathematics. The findings from the research study showed that the use of PBL methods, strategies, and techniques empowered students to take ownership of their learning while the teacher was a facilitator in the middle school mathematics classroom. Students worked in small groups, using prior knowledge to solve ill-structured mathematics problems. The findings from the research study showed that middle school mathematics teachers used data to drive instruction and students performed better in the middle school mathematics classroom using the PBL approach. Teachers acted as a facilitator in the middle school classroom and guided students when they faced challenges understanding mathematics concepts. The study concluded that PBL methods, strategies, and techniques had a positive effect on middle school students' academic achievement.