Building on new learning ecology theory and situated in the COVID-19 pandemic context, a qualitative research design was used to examine student and teacher perspectives on Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) Global. Drawing on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Project-Based Learning (PjBL), PBI Global supports participants toward engaging in inquiry-to-action aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data sources for this study included transcripts from student and teacher focus groups conducted before, during, and after the PBI Global process. Three themes emerged (1) creating global awareness of water issues, (2) learning to collaborate in remote and hybrid contexts, and (3) enhancing self-efficacy through iterative learning. The discussion focuses on the affordances and challenges of engaging in PBL during non-voluntary online learning, as well as study limitations and directions for future research.

This study investigates how teachers facilitate small-group mathematical discourse during Design & Pitch (D&P) Challenges in STEM, an experiential framework combining entrepreneurial, project-based, and design-based learning. By examining teacher interactions, we explore how educators draw on their personal practical knowledge to support student thinking and navigate the unpredictable nature of student-generated ideas in these innovative learning environments. This exploratory study investigates how teachers drew on their personal practical knowledge during group check-ins, leveraging teacher discourse moves (TDMs) to facilitate student thinking and mathematics learning. We analyzed 14 video-recorded small-group check-ins, memoed for evidence of personal practical knowledge and coded using a priori TDMs drawn from the North Carolina Collaborative for Mathematics Learning (NC2ML) framework. A thematic analysis of the coded transcripts revealed patterns in how teachers facilitated discourse, leading to three emergent themes: positioning students as experts, co-designing with students, and pushing students toward an outcome. These findings provide insight into how discourse moves can be used to support small group discussions within an entrepreneurial design project, as well as the challenges that emerge for teachers when guiding students towards desired outcomes.