How project-based learning works — behind the scenes of deeper learning #
Katheren Leitner
Chief Executive — Te Hononga Akoranga COMET
We’ve explored what project-based learning (PBL) and inquiry-based learning (IBL) are. We’ve made the case for why they matter. Now it’s time to talk about how they actually work — because this approach involves more than group posters and enthusiastic chaos.
At its best, project-based learning is structured, rigorous and purposeful. It’s not free time disguised as learning. It’s learning embedded in purpose.
Start with the problem, not with the topic
In traditional teaching, the sequence often starts with content. In PBL, it starts with a challenge.
Students might be asked:
- How can we reduce flooding in our local streets?
- What makes kai healthy and culturally meaningful?
- How can we design safer online experiences for our school?
The problem or question leads the learning. Suddenly, algebra has context. Science has urgency. Writing has purpose.
Unfold the curriculum through inquiry
PBL doesn’t ignore the curriculum — it draws from it strategically. A single project might incorporate science, maths, literacy and social studies. However, instead of covering these subjects in silos, students experience how they interconnect.
The teacher’s role is not to provide all the answers but to guide the students through the process. They support learners to ask better questions, test their ideas, gather evidence and reflect on what they find. Invariably teachers find themselves engaged and curious, as their students ask questions and come up with answers they may not have considered.
Evidence of learning is everywhere
One of the most powerful aspects of PBL is that learning is visible and varied. Instead of a single test, students might demonstrate their understanding through:
- Research reports
- Model prototypes
- Presentations to whānau or community
- Collaborative artefacts
- Reflections on process and problem-solving
This isn’t a replacement for assessment. It’s a broader lens on what learning looks like and who gets to show it. Using pre- and post-project measures can be excellent ways of evaluating progress.
It’s not ‘less teaching’; it’s better teaching
Sometimes teachers worry that PBL means giving up control or sacrificing rigour. Experienced PBL educators will tell you, however, that this is some of the most structured, intentional teaching they’ve ever done.
You’re still designing learning goals. You’re scaffolding skills. You’re responding to needs in real time. The difference is your students are driving while you’re helping them navigate.
One step at a time
For schools just getting started, project-based learning doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul. It can begin with:
- A two-week unit grounded in a local issue
- A cross-curricular collaboration between two subject teachers
- A class project responding to a real community need
Over time, it grows into a mindset — a way of seeing learning as a living, evolving journey.
Why it matters more than ever
In a world grappling with climate change, misinformation and deep social challenges, we need young people who can think critically, collaborate effectively and act with purpose. PBL helps develop exactly those capabilities.
At COMET, we’ve seen it firsthand. Through Curious Minds and WeSTEM projects across Auckland, students who were disengaged became deeply invested. They weren’t just learning about science; they were doing science, solving problems and speaking confidently to stakeholders about their work.
Project-based learning doesn’t just change how students learn; it changes how they see themselves — as capable, curious and connected learners. In today’s world, that may be the most powerful learning of all.