How do students learn without the teacher simply giving them the answer?
In this episode of The Science of Learning, Keith Sawyer talks with learning scientist Joe Krajcik about project-based learning, scientific modeling, curiosity, and the role of productive struggle in deep understanding.
Watch the video interview on YouTube
Krajcik explains why lasting learning happens when students actively construct knowledge for themselves rather than memorizing facts or copying answers. Through carefully designed experiences, teachers can help students build models, ask meaningful questions, test ideas, and connect new concepts to what they already know.
The conversation explores:
- Why learning requires more than asking questions—it requires figuring out answers
- How teachers provide scaffolding without taking over the learning process
- The role of firsthand experiences in building understanding
- Why scientific models are powerful tools for explanation and prediction
- How students learn to make claims supported by evidence and reasoning
- The importance of curiosity and question asking in both learning and creativity
- Examples of project-based learning from elementary and high school science classrooms
Along the way, Krajcik shares memorable examples involving squirrels, skateboards, water quality, chemistry, and the famous question: "How come I see so many squirrels, but I don't see any stegosaurus?"
Learning happens when we build knowledge, not when we receive it. This episode explores how great teachers help students construct understanding that lasts.
For more information
Dr. Krajcik is a professor emeritus at Michigan State University and one of the leading researchers in project-based learning and science education. His work has helped shape contemporary approaches to inquiry-based science instruction and the Next Generation Science Standards.
Dr. Krajcik's web site
The Science of Learning is produced and hosted by Keith Sawyer.
Music by license from SoundStripe
- "Uptown Lovers Instrumental" by AFTERNOONZ
- "Miss Missy" by AFTERNOONZ
- "What's the Big Deal" by Ryan Saranich
Copyright (c) 2026 Keith Sawyer
