Abstract
Project-based learning (PjBL) is becoming widespread in many schools. However, the evidence of its effectiveness in the classroom is still limited, especially in basic education. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the empirical evidence assessing the impact of PjBL on academic achievement of kindergarten and elementary students. We also examined the quality of studies, their compliance with basic prerequisites for a successful result, and their fidelity towards the key elements of PBL intervention. For this objective, we conducted a literature search in January 2020. The inclusion criteria for the review required that studies followed a pre-post design with control group and measured quantitatively the impact of PBL on content knowledge of students. The final sample included eleven articles comprising data from 722 students. The studies yielded inconclusive results, had important methodological flaws, and reported insufficient or no information about important aspects of the materials, procedure and key requirements from students and instructors to guarantee the success of PjBL. Educational implications of these results are discussed.
Highlights
Over the last decade, numerous institutions have addressed the skills and dispositions that are expected to be vital for schooling in 21st century
project-based learning (PjBL) and problem-based learning (PBL) are usually described as active, student-centred methods of instruction that encourage students to work in collaborative groups on real-world questions or challenges to promote the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills, while teachers act as facilitators of learning [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]
PjBL is a student-centered methodology that promotes the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills thought the solution of real problems in collaborative groups and with limited guidance of the teacher [6,9,10]
Summary
Numerous institutions have addressed the skills and dispositions that are expected to be vital for schooling in 21st century. PjBL and PBL are usually described as active, student-centred methods of instruction that encourage students to work in collaborative groups on real-world questions or challenges to promote the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills, while teachers act as facilitators of learning [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. Despite these common characteristics, PjBL and PBL present some
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