The DOI matches its Crossref record; 38 of the 38 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The problem of projects: understanding the theoretical underpinnings of project-led PBL
Open accessAbstract
For many years there has been a sharp division between project-based learning, and problem-based learning, with the former adopting a more technical rationalist approach while the latter adopts a more Socratic or dialogic approach. This article argues that current notions of project-based learning are too narrow and that combining the two approaches will improve student engagement and criticality. This article begins by outlining the key differences between project-based, and problem-based learning, suggesting a new constellation. It then provides an exemplar in the form of a case study that sought to undertake such a combination, and reports on implications for practice.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“PBL is theorized to enable integrative learning through sustained inquiry, reflection, and knowledge application, providing meaningful contexts for skill mastery6.”
From Project based learning framework integrating industry collaboration to enhance student future readiness in higher education (2025) · cites this paper as [6]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Hanney and Savin-Baden6deliver an academic discussion on the PBL, a rich work that lacks a more excellent empirical foundation.”
From Project based learning framework integrating industry collaboration to enhance student future readiness in higher education (2025) · cites this paper as [6]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation.
Bloch, M. E. F., Lave, J., & Wenger, É. (1994) · Man · doi:10.2307/2804509 · Cited by 39,362
(1999) · Cited by 28,356
A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia
Gilman, S. L., Deleuze, G., Guattari, F., & Massumi, B. (1989) · The Journal of Interdisciplinary History · doi:10.2307/203963 · Cited by 22,664
The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure
Gilsenan, M., & Turner, V. W. (1976) · RAIN · doi:10.2307/3031914 · Cited by 6,709
The Forest of Symbols: Aspects of Ndembu Ritual
Ben-Amos, D., & Turner, V. W. (1970) · Western Folklore · doi:10.2307/1498807 · Cited by 4,286
Manifesto for agile software development
Beck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., & Thomas, D. A. (2001) · Cited by 4,284
The Ritual Process. Structure and Anti-Structure
Welbourn, F. B., & Turner, V. W. (1971) · Journal of Religion in Africa · doi:10.2307/1594703 · Cited by 3,462
(1980) · Cited by 2,480
Engle, K. K. (1981) · American Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.5014/ajot.35.8.539b · Cited by 2,149
The Challenge of Problem-based Learning
Boud, D. J., & Feletti, G. I. (2013) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315042039 · Cited by 1,754
Student engagement literature review
Trowler, V. (2010) · Cited by 1,078
Improving student engagement: Ten proposals for action
Zepke, N., & Leach, L. (2010) · Active Learning in Higher Education · doi:10.1177/1469787410379680 · Cited by 946
Contemporary Theories of Learning
(2009) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203870426 · Cited by 873
Cohn, M. (2005) · Cited by 740
Problem-based Learning In Higher Education: Untold Stories
Savin‐Baden, M. (2000) · Cited by 728
Self-citationThe challenge of problem-based learning
Taylor, I., & Burgess, H. (1997) · Cited by 696
The New Constellation: The Ethical-Political Horizons of Modernity/Postmodernity.
McCarthy, T., & Bernstein, R. J. (1995) · Philosophy and Phenomenological Research · doi:10.2307/2108349 · Cited by 680
Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative Products
Highsmith, J. (2004) · Cited by 583
(2007) · Cited by 409
Managing Innovation, Design and Creativity
von Stamm, B. (2003) · Cited by 359
Augustine, S., Payne, B., Sencindiver, F., & Woodcock, S. (2005) · Communications of the ACM · doi:10.1145/1101779.1101781 · Cited by 352
Carroll, J. J. (2005) · Academy of Management Learning and Education · doi:10.5465/amle.2005.17268579 · Cited by 345
Bailey, R., & Garner, M. (2010) · Teaching in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/13562511003620019 · Cited by 225
A Practical Guide to Problem-Based Learning Online
Savin‐Baden, M. (2007) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203938140 · Cited by 155
Self-citationTechnology and Problem-Based Learning
Uden, L., & Beaumont, C. D. (2006) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/978-1-59140-744-7 · Cited by 154
Review of Contemporary theories of learning.
Stolurow, L. M. (1955) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/h0039426 · Cited by 144
History of Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning
de Graaff, E., & Kolmos, A. (2007) · BRILL eBooks · doi:10.1163/9789087900922_002 · Cited by 139
Alienation and engagement: exploring students’ experiences of studying engineering
Case, J. (2007) · Teaching in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/13562510601102354 · Cited by 120
Determinants of Quality Performance in High- and Low-Quality Plants
Flynn, B. B., Schroeder, R. G., & Sakakibara, S. (1995) · Quality Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10686967.1995.11918680 · Cited by 89
From project ontologies to communities of virtue
Linehan, C., & Kavanagh, D. (2006) · doi:10.1007/978-0-230-20929-9_3 · Cited by 78
There is More to Quality than Continuous Improvement: Listening to Plato
Sower, V. E., & Fair, F. K. (2005) · Quality Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10686967.2005.11919235 · Cited by 42
Technology and Problem‐based Learning
(2006) · Online Information Review · doi:10.1108/14684520610716324 · Cited by 41
THE NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL AT NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES
Clarke, R. M. (1978) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(78)91219-9 · Cited by 16
Teaching Literary Analysis with Digital Storytelling: An Instructional Approach
Maddin, E. (2013) · Journal on excellence in college teaching · Cited by 8
THE NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL AT NEWCASTLE, NEW SOUTH WALES
Clarke, R. M. (1978) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1978.tb112519.x · Cited by 7
Prince 2 Revealed: Including how to use Prince 2 for smaller projects
Bentley, C. (2005) · Butterworth-Heinemann eBooks · Cited by 5
DeCarlo, D. (2004) · CERN Document Server (European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Cited by 5
Taylor, P. J., & Sharrock, E. (2021) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781003031826-10 · Cited by 4
Research works printed but not linked: 5
- Barnett, R. 1994. The limits of competence. Buckingham: SRHE/Open University Press.
- Conway, J., and P. Little. 2000. Adopting PBL as the preferred institutional approach to teaching and learning: Considerations and challenges. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching 11, nos. 2/3: 11-26.
- Hodgson, C., and S. Cicmil. 2006. Are projects real? In Making projects critical, ed. C. Hodgson and S. Cicmil, 29-50. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Savin-Baden, M. 2007b. Learning spaces. Maidenhead: SRHE/Open University Press.
- Taylor, I. 1997. Developing learning in professional education. Buckingham: Open University Press/SRHE.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Naseer, F., Tariq, R., Alshahrani, H. M., Alruwais, N., & Al-Wesabi, F. N. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-10385-4 · Cited by 169
“Hanney & Savin-Baden (2013) 6 PBL fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills but needs clear theoretical underpinnings.”
Doing, being, becoming: a historical appraisal of the modalities of project-based learning
Hanney, R. (2018) · Teaching in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/13562517.2017.1421628 · Cited by 41
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Hanney, R., & Savin-Baden, M.
- Affiliations
- North China University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Hanney, Roy
- ORCID
- Hanney, Roy
- Venue
- London Review of Education
- Publisher
- UCL Press
- Published
- 2013
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- ISSN
- 1474-8460 (ISSN-L)
- 1474-8479
- OpenAlex
- W1997501858
- Cited by
- 81
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 25.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- London Review of Education (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Coventry University Open Collections (Coventry university) (submittedVersion)
- Pure (Coventry University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- The Open Collections (Coventry University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Problem and Project Based Learning
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Design Education and Practice
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Keywords
- project-based learning, problem-based learning, student engagement, criticality, dialogic learning, rationalism, university teaching
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
