High School Students' Experiences With Scaffolding in Project-Based Learning

Abstract

Centering student perspectives, this mixed methods study examines a project-based learning (PBL) unit enacted across five inclusive 9th grade English language arts (ELA) classes in one urban high school. We share how this unit offered students opportunities to experience new types of challenging but rewarding assignments in multimodal accessible formats that fostered relevant and meaningful engagement with ELA content. Using a Universal Design for Learning framing to create the PBL unit, we proactively discussed and reduced potential barriers. Our results confirm the need to redesign traditional curricula to be more inquiry-based and student-centered to address the intersectional needs of students. Implications for practice include using a small number of scaffolded materials that connect activities and can be adjusted throughout the unit, attending to interactional scaffolds such as peer collaboration, and addressing students' diverse abilities and language backgrounds.