Using Problem-Based Learning to Contextualize the Science Experiences of Urban Teachers and Students

If producing a twentieth-century workforce is a major goal of science reform initiatives, access to the knowledge and skills undergirding the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields requires equitable learning opportunities. However, many students, especially those in urban settings, are not provided with high-quality opportunities to engage in science. Therefore, spaces must be created that enable all students to investigate science in meaningful ways. By empowering urban teachers and their students to be involved in the active construction of knowledge, learners are provided with opportunities to generate and share explanations and analyses, thus creating agency. In this chapter, problem-based learning is highlighted as an instructional model that can be used to contextualize the science experiences of teachers and students in real-world problems relevant to themselves and their community while concurrently developing the critical thinking skills necessary to participate in a global society.