In the Service of Student Engagement: Project-Based Learning Classrooms and Teacher Practices

Project-Based Learning (PjBL) curricula offer unique opportunities for student engagement, yet they do not guarantee an engaging classroom. Furthermore, there has been little scholarly work on PjBL pedagogy that supports student engagement. This qualitative research study explores enactment of a PjBL Advanced Placement Physics 1 curriculum and the ways that teachers’ pedagogical moves afford or constrain student engagement. We use figured worlds to examine and compare the teaching practices of four teachers. From these findings, we developed a framework of pedagogical practices to support student engagement.