A study of the impact of a national project based learning curriculum (PLTW) on student continuation to postsecondary institutions

Abstract

Project based learning (PBL) has increasingly been promoted as a way to increase student interest in the STEM related fields. One such curriculum, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), has gained increasing popularity in middle schools and high schools. A key objective of the PLTW engineering curriculum is to create a more seamless transition for students from secondary school into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics post-secondary programs. PLTW has been implemented in all fifty states; however, there has been sparse research to-date that has rigorously measured the impact of PLTW or other PBL curricula on the student's choice to persist into postsecondary education We used Iowa's statewide longitudinal data system to follow multiple cohorts of PLTW participants and nonparticipants from 8th grade into secondary education. We derived a comparable treatment and control group by matching students based on their propensity to enter PLTW, permitting a stronger interpretation of the program's impact than prior studies. Specifically, the students were matched based on 8th grade standardized test math and science scores, gender, ethnicity, and SES information. We found statistically significant evidence that PLTW increases the odds of a student attending a 2-year college by 64% (p = 0.007) and increases the odds that they attend a 4-year college or university by 52% (p = 0.024). Further studies are being carried out to examine the majors selected by these students and their persistence in post-secondary education. This study has implications for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers regarding the comprehensive evaluation design and the critical role that PBL curricula can play to increase the participation, both generally and within nontraditional groups, in postsecondary STEM education in the U.S. © American Society of Engeneering Education, 2013.