Stručni rad
https://doi.org/10.70856/p.2.2.13
Investigating ESP Teachers’ Beliefs about and Approaches to Using Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education Contexts
Aleksandra Sudhershan
orcid.org/0009-0007-2111-9392
; Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT), Luxemburger Straße 10, 13353 Berlin
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* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Even though problem-based learning (PBL) – which involves learners collaborating on generating, analysing and selecting solutions to open-ended real-life problems - has been in use in various disciplines for over five decades, its adoption in foreign language education, including English for Specific Purposes (ESP), is relatively recent and under-researched. This is despite the fact that PBL seems to offer multiple advantages for learners. These range from fostering higher-order thinking skills, interdisciplinarity and learner autonomy, to preparing students for the challenges involved in working alongside hallucination-prone AI-based tools. To address this research gap, an online survey collected data from 44 ESP teachers with experience of PBL in higher education concerning their beliefs about and their approaches to using the approach. The results indicate a high level of satisfaction with the method as well as a high level of agreement in relation to a number of beliefs commonly associated with PBL, especially its relationship with fostering learning autonomy. However, the findings indicate less agreement with regard to two main features of PBL as identified in the literature, namely its focus on real-life problems with no fixed solutions. In light of the various challenges with PBL identified by the respondents, this paper proposes a number of measures relevant for teacher training and professional development to facilitate a wider implementation of the approach in ESP contexts.
Ključne riječi
Problem-based learning (PBL); Language for Specific Purposes (LSP); English for Specific Purposes (ESP); learner autonomy; teacher beliefs
Hrčak ID:
343613
URI
Datum izdavanja:
22.1.2026.
Posjeta: 363 *