Problem-Based Practical Work in Real Contexts (PBPWRC) redefines practical work by moving beyond scripted verification tasks and classroom-bound PBL toward student-co-designed investigation and action on authentic socio-scientific issues. Grounded in constructivism, situated learning, and critical pedagogy, it positions learners as knowledge producers and civic agents who inquire, deliberate ethically, and intervene in their communities. Through collaborative, open-ended inquiries, students formulate questions, gather and analyse evidence, model alternatives, and communicate to multiple publics, developing critical thinking, systems reasoning, and scientific literacy for action. Digital technologies extend inquiry across settings, make evidence transparent, foster inclusivity, and amplify impact. PBPWRC demands supportive conditions: flexible curricula, recognition of diverse assessments, teacher professional learning, and sustained school–community partnerships. Evidence from emergent programmes indicates gains in motivation, knowledge retention and transfer, agency, and social protagonism. By reframing what counts as practical work, who governs it, where it occurs, and how success is judged, PBPWRC constitutes a paradigm shift toward an equitable, transdisciplinary, and action-oriented science education responsive to contemporary challenges.