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Phenomenon Based Learning

What is Phenomenon Based Learning?

Phenomenon Based Learning is a student inquiry and problem solving based approach to learning where no specific subject, or predefined learning objective is taught. Instead, the problem provides the starting point for students to decide and solve the questions students perceive are relevant to the problem. The phenomena must be real and require learners to apply different perspectives when problem solving.

Phenomenon Based Learning is used in schools in Finland, to build a multidisciplinary and culturally diverse curriculum which equips students with 21st century metacognitive skills and embeds the use of technology (Drew, 2020).

In this section, principles of Phenomenon Based Learning are introduced. Self-guided resources are:

  • Learning approach: how learning takes place in Phenomenon Based Learning, and the role of teacher and student in the classroom process.
  • Video: Phenomenon Based Learning: City of Helsinki 2019 (HundrED,2020).
  • Explore further: Additional resource links and videos to explore to support Phenomenon Based Learning

Quick Links for Phenomenon Based Learning

Learning approach: There are five areas of learning in phenomenon-based approaches. These are a holistic approach to learning, authenticity and contextuality (understanding of context) through tangible, real world problems which require inquiry-based approaches in open ended learning processes.  Problems are real world issues. Phenomenon based learning does not involve the teaching of abstract knowledge or facts. Instead, students are presented with problems which students individually and collaboratively identify the knowledge and skills they need to solve their challenge. Learning is active, and directly relevant to the problem assigned.

Phenomenon-based learning shares many characteristics with other inquiry-based forms of learning: project-based learning, problem-based learning, and design-based thinking. However, phenomenon-based learning (PhenoBL) differs in that the learning context must be a global context, for example sustainability, refugees, artificial intelligence, and allow an interdisciplinary approach.

Video: Phenomenon Based Learning: City of Helsinki 2019

In this 5-minute video, education professionals, teachers and students discuss the key principles of phenomenon-based learning and its relevance to 21st century learning (HundrED,2020).

How learning takes place:

Students take a constructivist thinking approach, creating connections between their existing knowledge and new knowledge required to solve the problem. Students use critical thinking to test out new knowledge, evaluate its appropriateness to solve the problem, and place knowledge within what they already know. Learning takes place through the following four steps:

  • Students ask a question linked to a real-world problem which has interest to them.
  • Students research the problem, taking different perspectives and standpoints.
  • Teachers facilitate problem solving by supporting students with subject knowledge, skills, and concepts.
  • Students present their solution in an appropriate format.

Steps require a range of twenty-first century meta cognitive or soft skills; collaborative working, problem solving, testing, and refining of ideas, research of ideas and evaluation, critical thinking, communication skills in the project and to present solutions, and deeper learning (Valamis, 2022).

Phenomenon Based Learning Process edit

Explore Further: Resources to Support Phenomenon Based Learning

What is Finland's Phenomenon-based Learning approach?

Drew (2020)

Tools for phenomenon-based learning

Helsinki Learns (2023)

Rubric for Phenomenon based learning

Phenomenal Education (2019)

Video: Applying phenomenon-based learning to day-to-day lessons - Italy

OUP (2020)

Advantages: studies suggest that phenomenon-based learning approaches actively contribute to students’ critical thinking, deeper learning, and their development as independent learners. The Finnish system produces consistently high international comparison scores.

Cautions: The Finnish system of learning is not based on factual recall, and knowledge rich, highly prescribed curriculums. Instead, teachers have freedom to teach to students’ interests, and to teach across interdisciplinary boundaries. This means care must be taken if translating this approach to UK education systems to ensure appropriate subject coverage and depth. In Finland, students aged 7-16 years complete at least one, multidisciplinary phenomenon-based project per school year (Drew, 2020).