Heritage conservation education requires a balance between theoretical foundations and practical competencies. Traditional lecture-based
instruction, while effective for content delivery, often fails to cultivate the problem-solving, creativity, and collaborative skills necessary for
professional conservation practice. This study investigates the application of problem-based learning (PBL), grounded in constructivist pedagogy,
within a course titled Conservation Practices. Grounded in action research methodology, the study combines theoretical analysis of constructivist principles with empirical evaluation of PBL’s efficacy. Over a semester, students worked in teams or single to address real conservation dilemmas, mirroring the complexities they would encounter in professional practice. Data was collected through structured reflections and post-course surveys from a purposively selected cohort of 21 graduates who completed the training. Qualitative feedback was analyzed using MAXQDA software to identify emergent themes, including skill development, confidence in decision-making, and perceived relevance of the pedagogical approach. The findings demonstrate that PBL enhanced students’ technical proficiency, critical thinking, decision-making confidence, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Thematic analysis confirmed strong alignment between PBL and constructivist outcomes, particularly adaptive expertise and metacognitive awareness.