PBL selection

I vote for Scenario 3. First off, the rationale for my choice. Thus far we have learnt four theories:
Bronfenbrenner's Theory
Erikson's Life Development Theory <-> Developmental Patterns
Marcia's Identify Status Theory
Pygmalion Effect

Scenarios 1 and 3 allow us to engage all five of these models. Try as I might, I cannot identify elements of the Pygmalion Effect at play in Scenario 2. I see Scenarios 1 and 3 as currently having more potential in terms of depth.

Additionally, there is issue of presentation. In Scenario 2, we are presented with points and counterpoints very explicitly. What a bad teacher is like is juxtaposed to what good teacher is like. Similarly bad and good learning processes are spliced right beside each other. While this makes things clear in addressing the problems and identifying solutions, it might also restrict us in terms of novelty and presentation. In Scenarios 1 and 3, we encounter just the problems themselves. There are only subtle, if any, hints at the possible ways of resolving them. Here there is greater freedom in terms of a). suggesting solutions and b). presenting our findings.

Now between Scenario 1 and Scenario 3. Here is my breakdown in terms of the issues in both.

Scenario 1	Scenario 3
Mainly bad teacher-student rapport	Mainly bad parent-child relationship
Biasness in recognition and discipline	Broken family - loss of role models
Poor lesson delivery and unrealistic expectations	Loss of nurturing home environment
Issues of addressing developing maturity in the student	Issues of addressing developing maturity in the student
Dread of subject	Poor self-belief with rationalization of being a "born loser"
Fear of failure	Escapism into self-harm, gaming and bullying
Poor understanding and ability to apply knowledge	Bad rapport with classmates
Some elements of home environment (middle SES and make-up of family) as challenges to student learning	Very subtle but potentially potentially power elements of teacher-student rapport (teacher as role model)
Some elements of prior knowledge (primary school) as challenges to student learning	Very subtle but potentially powerful elements of teacher-parent partnership (teacher as mediator)

Initially I would have chosen Scenario 1 but the analyses and solutions to the issues in it are rather more straightforward than the ones in Scenario 3. The latter scenario is potentially more challenging but also presents a tough yet very real situation we as teachers will have to face. I find it worthwhile to pursue this as our PBL project.