Title: Project-Based Learning in K-12 Education

Author Name: Tahya Bess

Selected Case (Published Article):

Llorent, V. J., González-Gómez, A. L., Farrington, D. P., & Zych, I. (2022). Improving Literacy   Competence and Social and Emotional Competencies in Primary Education Through Cooperative Project-Based Learning. Psicothema, 102–109. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2020.372

1. Introduction

Project based learning is a popular instructional approach that allows students to take charge of their learning and create projects to display their knowledge. Through Project Based Learning, students can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and develop their skills in multiple subjects. This method involves working on a project for an extended period of time, which can be from a week up to a semester. The goal of the project is to provide the students with an opportunity to solve a real-world problem and create a presentation. There are certain characteristics that distinguish project-based learning from rigorous education. In Project Based Learning, the goal is to provide the students with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in their studies. The project itself is what is used to help students learn.

For this blog post, I will be focusing on the impact of the PBLs in K-12 education. The article I have chosen analyzes PBLs and its influence on literacy, social, and emotional competencies in elementary education. As an elementary educator at a STEM school, I have hands on experience with engaging students with PBLS and recording their growth over time. As an educator, I have seen the academic affects on students with project based learning, but I have not been recording the data of their social and emotional progress. According to Llorent, V. J., González-Gómez, A. L., Farrington, D. P., & Zych, I. (2022), students who engage in PBLs had significantly higher scores in literacy, social, and emotional competence. 

2. Overview of the Case

In this case project-based learning is defined as another method that promotes content learning (Holm, 2011) through the joint creation of materials or final products by the students (Dado & Bodemer, 2017). The researchers used cooperative learning in addition to project-based learning during their experiment. Cooperative learning (CL) has been one of the most recommended teaching methods since the 1980s (Ghaith, 2018; Surian & Damini, 2014); because it has the potential to positively affect academic achievement and social interactions (Keramati & Gillies, 2021). Unlike PBLs, cooperative learning does not focus on projects, but it allows learners to share information and resources in pair or groups to improve their learning experience. Cooperative learning is known to improve literacy competency in k-12 education. 

This study consisted of 145 participants all chosen by convenience sampling. They were between the ages 8-12 and were in the 4,5, and 6 grades during there 2017/2018 school year. The sample was split into two different groups: sample (71 students = 49%) and experimental (74 students = 51%). The data was collected by using 3 surveys: First, The literacy proficiency test assessed listening, reading and writing. Second, The Social and Emotional Competencies Questionnaire. Third, The Basic Empathy Scale. 

The researchers carried out a quasi-experiment, that was divided into two parts that took place in the classroom during normal school hours. Phase 1 included the development and planning of lessons with clarification of lectures and student tasks. This took place over 4 weekly one-hour sessions. In Phase 2, students were rearranged in small cooperative base-groups of 3-4 people for the development of cooperative project work. This phase included one weekly session of two hours. The project consisted of the students creating a sequence of 4 activities. In the first activity, each group created three characters of their choice, specifying their general makeup, physical appearance and their character. In the second activity, they had to describe the context of the story which included: city, characteristics of the place for the story, etc. In the third activity, students used their characters and context to create their own story. The story had to contain one of the following teaching of a values: respect, forgiveness, friendship, generosity, tolerance, effort and peace. Finally, the fourth activity consisted of dividing the story in parts and drawing a picture to reflect each part of the story. All story parts are told to younger students through kamishibai (a Japanese-origin way to tell stories through drawings).

3. Solutions Implemented

This study suggests the project-based learning can be a solution to increase the overall learning experience in learners, but specifically in literacy. The PBLs were scarce in the school system, so they created this experiment to show the benefits it could have on their students. The learning values reviewed in the PBLs showed that learners develop social skills. The experiment showed that progress in literacy competence and social and emotional competencies differed by gender and grade. Girls in the experimental group showed a greater development than the girls in the control group in literacy competence, social and emotional competencies and empathy. However, boys in the experimental group showed significant differences in literacy competencies, but not in social and emotional competencies and empathy. 

4. Outcomes

5. Implications

When implementing project-based learning, it important to consider the types of learners who will be engaging in the task. In order to make the project successful and beneficial for learners, it is important to know the demographics and capabilities of the learners. If you do not assess your learners, it could possibly deteriorate the learning experience and decrease the morale of students. Some limitations of this study include the sample size and topic selections. The sample sizes are small, specifically the subgroups which can limit the data produced from the PBL and CL experiment. Another limitation is the topics, which only included literacy, social, and emotional skills. It would make the data more reliable if we could see the impact of PBL on other subject areas such as mathematics, history, or science. Lastly, I would suggest looking into the affects of how PBL can be used as an intervention for social or emotional disorders.

6. References

Llorent, V. J., González-Gómez, A. L., Farrington, D. P., & Zych, I. (2022). Improving Literacy   Competence and Social and Emotional Competencies in Primary Education Through Cooperative Project-Based Learning. Psicothema, 102–109. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2020.372 

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