Seeking improved student performance in elementary schools has led educators to
advocate inquiry-based teaching approaches, including problem-based learning (PBL).
In PBL, students simultaneously develop problem-solving strategies, disciplinary
knowledge bases, collaborative skills, and dispositions. Research into the efficacy of PBL
in elementary school settings is in the seminal stage and reveals mixed results. In this
pilot study, 4th graders receiving PBL in science were compared with a corresponding
group receiving the same instruction in thematic format. Using a quasi-experimental
design, the researchers investigated students’ knowledge of content, stereotypical images
of scientists, time-on-task, and transfer of problem-solving skills.