Shifting Pedagogy in an AP US Government & Politics Classroom

This paper presents a longitudinal case study of a teacher, over four years, as he participated in a design-based implementation research (DBIR) project aimed at implementing a rigorous project-based learning (PBL) Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics (APGOV) course in an urban school district. Teacher interviews, professional development sessions, and classroom observations offer a window into how DBIR afforded the teacher unique opportunities to adapt and shift his pedagogical practices and beliefs around PBL in the classroom. Findings suggest the iterative nature of DBIR can serve as an important conduit to study what supports teacher learning over time.
This article shows how participation in a larger research project implementing a project-based learning (PBL) approach—presenting students with problems and focusing on solutions–supported one teacher’s learning over four years.
This paper evaluates the experiences of one teacher over four years while participating in a design-based implementation research (DBIR) project design to test a project-based learning (PBL) approach for a U.S. Government and Politics class. Results showed that the reflective and iterative nature of the DBIR effectively sustained the teacher’s professional growth and learning over that time.