Competency and affective skill outcomes for 11–19-year-olds through progressive and reconstructionist pedagogies: a systematic review

Abstract

ABSTRACT This systematic review identifies how progressive (student-driven), community-facing (reconstructionist) pedagogies can be used by teachers with 11–19-year-old students to help provide students with the competencies and skills they need to achieve the Organisation for Economic Development's (OECD) Learning Compass 2030. Whilst previous reviews focus on individual pedagogies which can be delivered in different ways depending upon context, this review synthesises studies into the key pedagogies, which are progressivist and reconstructionist: project-based learning; youth participatory action research; and citizenship education with service learning. A deductive analysis of student outcomes of 23 included studies demonstrates how these pedagogies help develop a range of students' competencies and affective skills. The evidence is strongest for attainment, self-regulated learning and motivation and weakest for agency, collective action and feeling part of a group, where more research and more clearly defined terms are needed. Disadvantaged students are shown to benefit, although more comparative research is needed. This paper recommends policy reform at national level to include progressivist and reconstructionist pedagogies as well as engagement with organisations offering extra-curricular project work for students to ensure the Learning Compass 2030 is realised.