An Experimental Study to Investigate the Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PBL) for Teaching Science at Elementary Level

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) covers different types enabling use to receive, share and exchange information. In project-based learning (PBL), the learners remained the center of the process by engaging, collaborating and connecting himself to the real world. Teachers can explore characteristics of project-based learning and can organize the curriculum, the classroom, technology and the students for the successful 21 st century skills. This study investigated the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) for teaching science at elementary level. The objectives of the study were application of the project-based learning technique to teach science at elementary level and finding out the effect of project based learning on the academic achievement of the students. There was no significance difference between the mean academic achievement scores of pre-test and post-test after the treatment. The one-group pretest-posttest design was used for the present study. All grade 8 students of the Federal Government high schools of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were the population. A federal school 8th class was randomly selected for the study. This selected group was considered as experimental group. The group was pre and post tested. The experimental group was taught through project-based learning technique by the researcher. After the treatment a post test was conducted and difference of the mean academic achievement score was observed. t test was used to analyze the data and it was recommended to use PBL in classroom particularly in teaching science subjects.