Implementing Problem-Based Instruction in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms

Problem-based instruction (PBI) is a research-based, student-centered instructional strategy that uses rich mathematical tasks to connect students' previously acquired math knowledge to new mathematical concepts. Unlike traditional teaching and learning strategies, PBI facilitates learning by making connections between mathematical concepts and real-world applications rather than through noncontextual, rote learning of skills, steps, and equations. This practical resource is an informative instructional tool for secondary mathematics teachers and teacher educators seeking to deepen their students' understanding of, and engagement with, mathematical learning. Highlighting both teacher and student perspectives, the text provides an overview of the PBI instructional strategy that includes best practices, guidance for implementation, and a companion website with more than 50 downloadable resources. In addition, readers will find 12 teacher-created sample lessons with prepared resources and detailed instructional guides. While written for novice PBI users, this book will enhance the instruction of teachers at all levels.

Book Features:

• Provides 12 ready-to-use sample lesson plans aligned to the most common secondary mathematics topics written by experienced classroom teachers.
• Focuses on the practical implementation of problem-based instruction specifically for middle and high school mathematics instruction.
• Includes a template to guide readers step-by-step through creating their own problem-based lessons.
• Access to a companion website with more than 50 editable, online resources for easy classroom implementation.

Sarah Ferguson is an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Cincinnati. Denise Polojac-Chenoweth is an instructional and curricular coach and mathematics specialist in the Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida.

“ Implementing Problem-Based Instruction in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms will be exceedingly useful for several audiences…. While other books speak in general terms about PBI, this book clearly and concisely defines it and provides a wealth of specific examples. It is a useful book to add to one’s professional mathematics education library.”

—Teachers College Record

"Ferguson and Polojac-Chenoweth do an amazing job of connecting theory about problem-based instruction (PBI) to practice about how to do it in an actual secondary mathematics classroom. This book is a great resource for any teacher looking to try out PBI in their classroom or for mathematics teacher educators in need of resources for teaching about PBI."
—Travis Weiland, assistant professor of mathematics education, University of Houston College of Education

Contents

Preface  vii

Introduction  1

Part I: Understanding Problem-Based Instruction

1.  What Is Problem-Based Instruction?  9

2.  PBI Teaching Strategies  16

3.  PBI Lesson Planning  24

Part II: Sample Lessons

4.  Designing a Gingerbread House  35
Liza Bondurant

5.  Creating Living Spaces for a Mars Exploration  43
Julian Viera, Jr., Noé Guevara, Lilly Rader, and Olga Kosheleva

6.  Redesigning Cereal Containers  52
Sarah Ferguson

7.  Playground Castles  59
Jada Hastings and Sarah Ferguson

8.  Quadratic Equations Explored Through Roller Coasters  66
Sarah Ferguson, Thomas Johnston, Christopher Karhan, and Eric Lefebvre

9.  Birds of Fury  75
Mary E. S. Miller and Scott A. Courtney

10.  My First Car  89
Denise L. Polojac-Chenoweth

11.  Mini-Golf Madness  100
Denise L. Polojac-Chenoweth

12.  Circles and Conclusions of Their Tangent Lines  108
Mitchell Fricke

13.  Listening to the Sound of Sine Waves  120
Nicole Sebek

14.  Statistics Explored Through the Principle of Airplane Flight  128
Kuan-Chun Chen and Cheng-Yao Lin

15.  The Pollster Project  140
Heather Holcomb

Appendix: PBI Lesson Planning Template  156

References  159

Index  161

About the Authors and Contributors  165