The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Minority Student Achievement - Implications for School Redesign

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Examines how project-based learning (PBL) affects minority student achievement in a middle-school context, addressing implications for school redesign. A causal-comparative study compared 7th and 8th graders who used PBL with students in a non-PBL comparison group. Academic achievement outcomes in mathematics and reading were analyzed using multivariate and univariate methods, showing higher performance for PBL groups. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to disengagement, dropout risk, and standards-driven reform.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Minority Student Achievement

Background and Rationale

Study Design and Methodology

Findings and Academic Outcomes

Theoretical and Practical Implications

School Redesign and Program Models

The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Minority Student Achievement: Implications for School Redesign This manuscript has been peer-reviewed, accepted, and endorsed by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA) as a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of school administration and K-12 education. Bernadine Cervantes Corpus Christi Independent School District Lynn Hemmer Texas A&M University-CorpusChristi Kamiar Kouzekanani Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Project-Based Learning (PBL) serves as an instructional approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in the investigation of real-world problems to create meaningful and relevant educational experiences. The causal-comparative study compared 7th and 8th students who had utilized the PBL with a comparison group in which PBL was nonexistent. Using outcome measures of academic achievement in mathematics and reading, multivariate and univariate analyses of the data showed that the PBL groups performed at a higher achievement level than did the non-PBL students. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. NCPEA Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Vol. 2, No. 2 – October 2015 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2015 National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. This manuscript may not be used commercially or edited. When quoting portions of this text, full attribution to the author/s is required. Since A Nation at Risk was published in 1983, schools have made considerable effort to prepare students for the ever-increasing demands of the 21st century. However, even when preparing students to adapt to 21st changing technologies, information, jobs, and social conditions (Barron & Hammond, 2008), too many students continue to drop out of school. One recent estimate was that three out of 10 high school students, the majority of these minority and poor students dropout of America’s public high schools every school day (Rumberger, 2011) . This intersection between increased rigor in teaching and learning while decreasing dropout rates is problematic for school districts. Interestingly enough, researchers have suggested that the main reason students drop out of school is that they found their classes boring and in turn became disengaged from high school (Beekman, 2006; Bridgeland, Dilulio, & Morison, 2006; Prothero, 2014) . It may be that the organizational forms and structure of schools contribute to student disengagement. It is suggested that conventional forms and structures continue to govern instruction remaining the same over time, with little change to the space, time, student classification, grading, and core operations of schools (Elmore & City, 2011; Tyack & Cuban, 1995) . Compounding the issue are standards-driven reform efforts in which districts continue to rely on school-based management and school restructuring to improve the conditions and outcomes of failing schools (Elmore, 1997; Stein & D’Amico, 2002) . Even with the advancement of technology in schools, conventional school reform approaches remain because “teachers and schools continue to control access to content and learning”(Elmore & City, 2011, p. 25), leaving little room for innovative practice (Wolk, 2010) . Although the current educational system remains designed for standardization, some school districts are engaging in ways in which to improve academic achievement for minority student and children of poverty, reduce dropout rates, and prepare students for the demands of the 21st century workforce through school redesign. School redesign has emerged as a means to focus on the core function of teaching and learning. Rather than layer school wide initiatives, one on top of the other, as is often the case with reform efforts (Tyack & Cuban, 1995), school redesign changes academic programs altogether (Christensen, Horn, & Johnson, 2008) . Examples include academic programs such

FAQs

What instructional approach is central to the study?

The study focuses on Project-Based Learning (PBL), an approach that engages students in investigating real-world problems to create meaningful learning experiences.

How was PBL impact measured in the study?

Researchers used a causal-comparative design comparing 7th and 8th graders who used PBL against a non-PBL comparison group, with outcome measures in mathematics and reading.

What do the results suggest about PBL and achievement?

Multivariate and univariate analyses indicated that students in the PBL groups performed at a higher achievement level than the non-PBL students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag