Mini-cycle PBL
A short-cycle, career-connected framework for middle grades STEM education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/wt0f6y97Keywords:
Mini-Cycle PBL, PBL, Engineering, STEM, Design, stem educationAbstract
Middle grades STEM teachers, particularly in rural schools, often encounter structural constraints that limit sustained project-based learning (PBL). This descriptive case study introduces Mini-Cycle PBL, a five-day instructional framework that retains core PBL elements within time-limited classroom contexts. Grounded in experiential learning, constructivism, place-conscious pedagogy, and STEM identity theory, the model emphasizes iterative design, applied investigation, and local career relevance. Data were drawn from classroom observations, student artifacts, and embedded micro-assessments involving approximately 120 eighth-grade students across four rural STEM classes during a hydraulic prosthetic design challenge. Analysis indicates that students engaged in multiple cycles of testing and revision, demonstrated developing conceptual understanding of hydraulic force transfer, and articulated emerging connections to STEM careers. These findings suggest that short-cycle inquiry models may offer a feasible structure for supporting engineering engagement and identity development within rural instructional constraints.
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