Educational Justification of K-Star+ PBL “Applied Ethics” Course Based on Habermas’s Theory of Communicative Action

This study examines the pedagogical legitimacy of the K-Star+ Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model, implemented in an “Applied Ethics” course at a university in Busan. Drawing on Jürgen Habermas’s theory of communicative action and discourse ethics, it argues that the K-Star+ design provides a normative framework for deliberative learning in contexts of ill-structured socio-ethical problems. In such environments, traditional didactic lecturing is insufficient for fostering students’ ability to discursively justify claims and coordinate divergent perspectives. The K-Star+ model is a contextualised PBL ecology that integrates Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, edtech-mediated blended learning, and a Student Facilitator (SF) scheme. Methodologically, this study employs a qualitative case approach with phenomenological analysis to explore learners’ lived experiences. The dataset includes 2025 spring semester instructional plans, SF activity reports, surveys, and in-depth interviews. The analysis yields three principal findings: ⒜ K-Star+ PBL constitutes a discursive arena where students’ utterances are examined through Habermasian validity claims (factual truth, normative rightness, and subjective sincerity), framing ethical judgment as a rational agreement achieved through argumentation. ⒝ The SF scheme serves as a vital mediating mechanism that sustains equitable participation and non-competitive coordination, effectively approximating the normative conditions of the ideal speech situation. ⒞ Learners undergo a transition from strategic to communicative action, facilitating intersubjective meaning coordination and reflective self-formation. In conclusion, K-Star+ is a discourse-ethical PBL model that provides a normative horizon for university education grounded in communicative rationality. While offering qualitative insights, further empirical research is needed to validate broader learning outcomes.