Description
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a dominant pedagogical approach across disciplines, with its roots in medical sciences and increasing adoption in fields such as International Relations. While PBL offers valuable opportunities for students to engage in collaborative, experiential learning focused on practical problem-solving, this paper critiques its essentialist framing of problems as pre-existing entities awaiting resolution. We argue for a Critical Problem-Based Learning (CPBL) approach that interrogates the co-constitutive nature of problems, their theoretical underpinnings, and practical solutions. Such an approach emphasizes the importance of teaching students to critically examine how problems are framed, whose interests are served, and the implications of proposed solutions. This approach not only bridges theory and practice but illuminates the dynamic nexus between them, encouraging students to recognize how theoretical frameworks shape the identification of problems and influence the design of practical interventions. By reframing PBL through a critical lens, this paper offers pedagogical reflections to enable learners to interrogate the foundational assumptions that underpin both problems and their proposed solutions.
