Project Brainstorming Learning (PjBrs-L): Integrating Structured Brainstorming into Project-Based Learning for Applied Microbiology in Biology Education

Applied Microbiology projects require students to identify promising biological resources, formulate feasible investigations, and connect scientific evidence with possible applications. In the course context examined in this study, preliminary project activities did not consistently provide a documented process for generating and comparing alternative ideas before project selection. This study developed the Project Brainstorming Learning (PjBrs-L) model, in which structured brainstorming is the distinctive design feature linking idea exploration to project planning, STEM-oriented project work, entrepreneurial orientation, evaluation, and reflection. A Research and Development approach guided by ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) was used. The study involved 15 Biology Education students and three lecturers in an Applied Microbiology course at Jambi University. Product review involved three experts, while five students contributed to the interview data reported in the dissertation. Data were drawn from observations, interviews, questionnaires, expert feedback, and instructional documents, and were interpreted using iterative qualitative analysis. The resulting model comprises six stages: brainstorming; designing project steps; completing the project with lecturer monitoring; preparing reports and presentations; evaluation; and reflection. Expert feedback informed successive revisions of the academic manuscript, brainstorming guide, student worksheet, and semester learning plan. Preliminary implementation accounts describe idea generation, project planning, collaboration, experimentation, reporting, and reflection, alongside challenges involving uneven participation, limited facilities, coordination, and the need for clearer assessment guidance. The findings provide qualitative evidence of design feasibility and implementation experiences; they do not establish measured improvements in self-efficacy, creative thinking, or learning independence.