Editor's Introduction

As the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning (IJPBL) enters its twentieth year, the Spring 2026 issue gives us a unique and global look at the impact that problem-based learning (PBL) has had and continues to have throughout the world. We start by memorializing the work and life of John R. Savery whose impact on PBL research has been foundational, including authoring an article in the very first issue of this journal (Savery, 2006). His legacy will continue to echo both in the field as well as with those whose lives he touched. Members of our current and prior editorial board— Krista Glazewski, Woei Hung, Xun Ge, and Peggy Ertmer—share their thoughts and memories honoring John Savery in an in-memoriam article. As we reflect on John Savery’s widereaching impact on the study and implementation of PBL throughout the world, we also celebrate the contributions of other PBL researchers across the globe. We examine the impact of PBL through the lens of different cultural contexts representing the countries of Indonesia, Türkiye, Khazakstan, and South Africa. Given the importance of real-world application in PBL, it is fitting that we focus on how authentic problem solving is operationalized and, perhaps more importantly, impacted by the cultural contexts in which such learning occurs.