Teacher's experiences in PBL: implications for practice

Abstract

Project-Based Learning (PBL) has been implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and
\nManagement programme at the University of Minho, Portugal, since 2004/2005. The purpose of this
\npaper is to analyse and discuss teachers’ experiences in PBL in this programme and to explore its implications
\nfor student learning and for teaching practices in higher education. For data collection, the research
\nmethod used was written narratives to these teachers, at the end of the PBL semester. Findings suggest
\nthat teachers express a positive view of PBL as a learning approach. They identify student motivation
\nand engagement, along with a better understanding of the application of concepts in real-life situations, as
\nimportant outcomes of the project for students. Besides this, teachers also highlight the importance of the
\ndevelopment of transversal skills by students throughout the project. Recommendations for future work
\nand implications for practice will also be discussed.