Problem-Based Learning and Prospective Principals’ Problem-Framing Ability

Abstract

This article reports on an exploratory study that inquired about the teaching and learning of administrative problem-framing skills in a problem-based learning (PBL) administrator preparation program. A literature-based definition of problem-framing ability is developed, and a conceptual framework for the study, rooted in theories of cognition and social psychology, is introduced. Incorporating the use of a quasi-experimental study design, the problem-framing skills of three successive student cohorts with graduated levels of exposure to PBL are assessed. An ANCOVA reveals that all three cohorts differ significantly in problem-framing ability associated with their level of exposure to PBL. Finally, the implications of the findings for instructional practice and future research on administrator preparation are explored.