Developing a Professional Identity through Problem-Based Learning

Abstract

There are few reports in the literature on the use of problem-based learning (PBL) in teacher education. This is somewhat surprising given that it is a field of university study that espouses to its students the use of innovative and relevant pedagogies in the school context. Similarly, despite the widespread use of PBL in single courses, the literature in this area is also sparse. This paper provides a description and analysis of a problem-based pedagogy, used in a single course, as a way to better engage teacher education students in their final semester of study. It is concluded that the within-subject PBL structure was successful in motivating students to engage in a series of problems relevant to their professional trajectories. Lave and Wenger's (1991) concepts of legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice are used to elaborate how PBL can enhance teacher education students' sense of professional development.