Project-based Learning Program Research Articles

The Role of Design Thinking in Refocusing the Secondary Education System

Although the current education system has been designed to prepare students for life after school, there is a large disconnect between the skills students need for the workforce and the skills they are being taught. Design thinking offers a human-centered approach to creative problem solving that can serve as a solution to the current education crisis. Method: The present review synthesizes qualitative and quantitative studies published over the past two decades that examined the application of design thinking in the secondary education system in the United States. Results: Two main applications of design thinking were identified for the secondary education system: curriculum design and project-based learning programs. Conclusion: Design thinking is a promising tool for improving student preparedness during secondary education. However, there are limited quantitative studies that have examined the direct link between design thinking and educational outcomes. Future research is needed to establish the effectiveness of implementing design thinking in the secondary education system and clarify the most promising applications.

Bringing underprivileged middle-school students to the opera: cultural mobility or cultural compliance?

This article assesses the impact of a two-year long project-based learning program conducted by the National Opera of Paris in a large number of middle schools located in underprivileged areas, aiming at preventing school dropout and tackling educational inequalities by providing disadvantaged students with the opportunity to discover the world of opera. Taking a counterfactual approach (propensity score matching), we measure the impact of participation in the program on final exam and continuous assessment grades. The analysis displays mixed results: a significant and positive impact for the students who participate in the program for its whole duration (two years), at least for continuous assessment scores, but a negative impact for those who leave the program after only one year. The contrast between the effects of full and partial participation in the program suggests that these may be primarily due to a selection effect in favor of the most culturally and socially compliant students, in line with Bourdieu’s and Passeron’s reproduction theory (1997 [1970]) rather than a mobility effect (DiMaggio, 1982) resulting from the transfer of cultural capital to disadvantaged students.

Socialization of Drawing Technique with Inventor Software for High School Student

In today's digitalization era, the sensitivity of using design and illustration software is a demand in improving the competencies possessed by students at the high school level. This ability will support students' interests and talents by adjusting the Project Based Learning Program owned by SMAM 1 Gresik, namely the L800 Motorcycle Modification Automotive Project. By introducing and training students using the design and illustration software used, namely Autodesk Inventor: Student Version, This training activity aims to (1) Students are able to use the Autodesk Inventor Application in 2D and 3D schemes, (2) Students are able to gain an understanding of motor engineering components and motor engineering drawings, (3) help teach teachers who teach subjects in the field of applied science. The methods used in this community service are teaching, demonstration and practice methods. The result of this community service is to improve the ability of the participants in terms of designing and modifying the practice of observing L800 motorcycle components and students more easily understand the shape of an Engineering component through Technical Drawings effectively and efficiently due to virtual 3D modeling in the Autodesk Inventor application.

Variations in Project-Based Course Design

Project-based learning (PjBL) is seeing increasing scholarly interest and pedagogical use in higher education, but instances of PjBL do not neccesarily seek the same educational outcomes. Using the grounded theory method, the authors plot five courses in a PjBL program on a matrix of course design characteristics ranging from Fixed to Flexible and Individualistic to Cooperative. They describe four major variations of PjBL based on this matrix. Recognizing that PjBL courses vary in their use of student choice and student collaboration, the authors make recommendations for assessment researchers and for teachers wishing to develop new strategies that fit their institutional and disciplinary contexts.

Development of a Project-Based Learning Program on High-Risk Newborn Care for Nursing Students and Its Effects: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Project-based learning (PjBL) allows nursing students to participate in real problem-solving, construct knowledge, and improve their nursing skills in the process of accomplishing meaningful projects. This study was conducted to develop a PjBL program on high-risk newborn care for nursing students and evaluate its effects. A quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control group pretest–posttest design was employed between June and December 2021. The participants were 45 nursing students (24 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group). A PjBL program involving the creation of an educational video clip about high-risk newborn care for nursing students was developed, and the experimental group took part in PjBL. The participants’ nursing competency for high-risk newborns, self-leadership, and practicum-related stress were assessed. In the experimental group, nursing competency for high-risk newborns increased and practicum-related stress decreased to a greater extent than in the control group. However, the change in self-leadership was not significantly different between the experimental and control groups. PjBL effectively improved students’ nursing competency for high-risk newborns and decreased their practicum-related stress. PjBL will be utilized to enhance nursing students’ expertise in high-risk newborn care.

The Effect of a Suggested Project-Based Blended Learning Program on Developing University Students' EFL Writing Skills and Reducing their Writing Apprehension

The Effect of a Suggested Project-Based Blended Learning Program on Developing University Students' EFL Writing Skills and Reducing their Writing Apprehension

The Effect of a Proposed Blended Project-Based Learning Program on Developing the 4Cs Skills for Secondary Stage Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a proposed blended project-based learning program on developing the 4cs skills (critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, and collaboration skills) for secondary stage students. The study employed the one-group pretest-posttest quasi – experimental design. The participants were 30 first year secondary stage students at Hassan Abu Bakr Distinguished Governmental Language School in El-Qanater Elkhairya Educational Administration in Qualybia Governorate. The instruments of the study included a list of critical thinking skills, a list of creative thinking skills, a list of communication skills, a list of collaboration skills, a critical thinking test, a pre- post creative thinking test, an observation checklist for communication skills and an observation checklist for collaboration skills. The pre/post critical thinking test, the creative thinking test, and the observation checklists for both communication and collaboration skills were pre administered to the study group. Then, the study group was trained through the proposed blended project-based learning program to develop the 4 Cs skills (critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, and collaboration). The measurement instruments of the study were post administered to the study group. Findings of the study revealed that the blended project-based learning program proved to be effective in developing the 4Cs skills for the study group.

The Impact of a Project-Based Blended Learning Program on Improving EFL Secondary Stage Al-Azhar Students' Productive Language Skills

The Impact of a Project-Based Blended Learning Program on Improving EFL Secondary Stage Al-Azhar Students' Productive Language Skills

Using a Project-Based Blended Learning Program to Enhance EFL Secondary Stage Al-Azhar Students' Psychological Flow

Using a Project-Based Blended Learning Program to Enhance EFL Secondary Stage Al-Azhar Students' Psychological Flow

Using Project Based Learning (PBL) Program Integrated with Information Technology (IT) in Developing Secondary School Students' Reading Skills.

Learning Program integrated with Information Technology in developing reading skills of first year secondary school students. The Participants were sixty students. They were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group (30 students each). The instruments of the study included a checklist of Reading sub- skills and a test on Reading skills. The treatment group was taught using Project Based Learning Program integrated with Information Technology while the control group was taught following the plan of the Ministry of Education in Egypt. The participants were pre - and – post tested. The program was administered in the first term of the academic year 2020/2021. Results revealed that Project Based Learning Program integrated with Information Technology had positive results. Recommendations and suggestions for further research were presented.

Curiosity-Based Biophysics Projects in a High School Setting with Graduate Student Mentorship

Curiosity-Based Biophysics Projects in a High School Setting with Graduate Student Mentorship

A Contextual Semi-Assisted Project-Based Learning on Ocean Wave Energy: Pre-service Physics Teachers’ Perceptions

The lack of technological innovation in the utilization of ocean wave energy as a renewable energy source is caused by a lack of public knowledge about this matter. Therefore, it needs to be introduced early, especially to pre-service teachers through innovative and fun learning. The aim of this study was to identify the responses of pre-service physics teachers about the learning program to introduce the concept of utilizing ocean wave energy. The research subjects were 31 sixth semester students who are taking environmental physics lectures in the physics education study program at one of the teachers' university in West Nusa Tenggara Province for the 2019/2020 academic year. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling technique. Data collection was carried out by means of observation, interview, and questionnaire techniques. All data collected were then analyzed simultaneously descriptively. The findings of this study showed that almost 90% pre-service physics teacher students agreed that the learning program had a positive impact on increasing interest, motivation, critical thinking skills, and creative thinking skills, and made them easier to solve problems and grow solid cooperation. Therefore, it can be concluded that pre-service physics teacher students agree to the use of semi-assisted project-based learning programs with contextual problems.

Evaluation of Teacher Professional Development Program—A Developmental Evaluation Approach

The professional development of teachers is the main mechanism for improving classroom teaching and improving students’ learning outcomes. To have secondary school teachers improve their teaching by using the new teaching approach of project-based learning, this study engaged teachers to participate in Teachers’ Project-Based Learning Program (T-PjBLP) to learn new knowledge, pedagogy, and skills. During the program implementation, the study applied a developmental evaluation (DE) approach to evaluate teachers’ professional development and to assist them to develop an initiative program for students. In the DE approach, the role of the researcher was as a team member, shaped the course of development to help participants learn, and tracked the professional development process and results through a digital technology platform. The participants in this study consisted of 7 science teachers coming from two secondary schools. The major findings indicated that more than 95% of participants agreed that digital technology was a wonderful platform to provide them with an opportunity to share ideas, feedback, and experiences about what they learned from the program. Also, most of them provided positive feedback about their learning. To conclude, the program effectively changed teachers teaching beliefs from the teacher-centered approach to the learner-centered approach and used what they learned from the program to develop an initiative program for students. However, some limitations encountered in applying the DE approach to evaluate the program also were discussed in this study.

An Outdoor Project-Based Learning Program: Strategic Support and the Roles of Students with Visual Impairments Interested in STEM

A qualitative study was conducted to understand how middle and high school students with visual impairments (VI) engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The Readiness Academy, a Project-Based Learning (PBL) intervention, was designed to provide a week-long, immersive, outdoor, and inquiry-based science education program to students with VI. We analyzed 187 photographs, camp associate intern notes, and researcher memos first using emotion coding, followed by process coding to structure initial codes and categories into seven research activities. We used axial coding as a secondary cycle coding method to determine four consistent themes across all research activities: apprenticeship, collaboration, accessibility, and independence. We found that the inclusion of purposeful accessibility, such as assistive technology and multisensory experiences, supported how students with VI engaged in STEM education. The findings reflect how students dynamically fulfilled roles as apprentices, collaborative members, and independent researchers within the program’s context of PBL and outdoor science education.

The Effect of the FIRST Robotics Program on Its Graduates

The program For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) for young students incorporates project-based learning (PBL) with designing and building wireless-controlled robots. The students are guided by experts, mostly engineers. The FIRST organization determines the theme of the robot annual competition. The goal of this research is to characterize and evaluate the effect of the FIRST program on graduates’ self-efficacy, interpersonal skills, and career choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The research participants included 297 FIRST graduates, mostly high schoolers, who responded to questionnaires, and five of them were interviewed. Analysis of the data showed that the FIRST program improved graduates’ interpersonal skills such as time management, teamwork skills, and self-efficacy, as well as had an impact on the graduates’ STEM career choices. The main factors impacting the graduates’ career choice was their exposure to robotics and to experts from the industry. The theoretical contribution is to the social cognitive theory (SCT) in the context of the FIRST program. Our study explains students’ career choice through correlations among students’ aspirations for choosing a career, their self-efficacy, their interpersonal skills, and their actual choice. The practical contribution lies in better understanding the robotic PBL program and expanding the STEM work force.

Effectiveness of the project-based learning program on Thai nursing student competency for elderly care in the community

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the Thai nursing student competency enhancement program applied through project-based learning (PjBL) in caring for the elderly in the community.Design/methodology/approachThis quasi-experimental one-group pre-post-test design was used to compare mean scores on gerontological nursing competency scales comprising four dimensions including holistic health promotion, empirical evidence, empowerment and quality care and ethical and moral competencies. A total of 95 participants were randomly selected from a list of registered attendees. A five-week PjBL approach for a community nursing practicum was designed and comprised of an introduction to the project, components of research methodology, group projects and group presentations. A gerontological nursing competencies questionnaire was used with participants, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Two-way ANOVA and a paired t-test were used to compare pre-post mean scores of competencies.FindingsA total of 95 students participated in the PjBL and the majority of participants were female (92.6%). The results revealed post–PjBL mean scores of gerontological nursing competencies were higher than the premean score (p value < 0.05) except the empirical evidence competencies which showed no statistical difference.Originality/valueSince the results show the effectiveness of the student nursing competency enhancement program through PjBL when caring for the elderly in the community, it is important for health care instructors to apply PjBL, especially in community nursing. Improving empirical competency evidence among nursing students is still required and necessary.

PBL Program Producing Flying Robot in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department

More and more mechanical and aerospace engineering departments of Universities and Colleges are adopting Project-Based Learning (PBL). One of the main purposes of PBL programs is the practical understanding of the relationship between classroom lectures on traditional theories, e.g., material mechanics, fluid dynamics, dynamics of machinery, and control engineering, and real phenomena of mechanical systems. Moreover, we need to take the use of recent digital manufacturing (e.g., 3D printers, CAD/CAM, and CAE) into account as recent educational content and methods. This paper introduces a novel trial of using PBL at Nagoya University. More specifically, the new program provides students with the experience of producing flying robots and introduces the above relationship and digital manufacturing.

Expansive Learning through Project Based Learning Program for Undergraduate Students of Business Studies

Expansive Learning through Project Based Learning Program for Undergraduate Students of Business Studies

She Space: A multi-disciplinary, project-based learning program for high school girls

Previous research investigating the under-representation of women in science and technology fields has identified various causes. These include, a lack of inspiring female role-models, limited exposure of girls to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, gender-biased stereotypes, and preferences for different learning styles between genders. Dedicated to the ideas of women and space, the “She Space” research project for high school girls was a joint effort of the Earth and Planetary Image Facility (EPIF) at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev and Beit Yatziv. The participants included 20 high-school aged female students and a predominantly female staff of up to eight university researchers and advanced degree students. The goal of this project was to advance and support female students engaging with various scientific fields and, in particular, the field of space science. The project emphasized the quality and development of the research process and used project-based learning to help participants learn to use a research-based approach when encountering challenging scientific concepts or subjects. This, together with active learning and teamwork was set as the educational framework to meet the different learning styles and motivational needs of girls. Furthermore, special attention was given to the suppression of gender stereotypes by 1) introducing women role models 2) overcoming self-induced prejudices related to STEM abilities by introducing new and unknown subjects (remote sensing), about which participants lack preconceptions. Using participant surveys, we found that self-reported confidence with and interest in STEM subjects increased after the project. We also found that participants’ feelings about participating in an all-female program did not noticeably change after the program. However, the vast majority (87%) of participants did report that having a majority female staff was very important to them.

Medical Student Consulting: Providing Students Leadership and Business Opportunities While Positively Impacting the Community.

Medical schools are increasingly attempting to prepare future physicians for diverse new leadership roles in the health care system. Many schools have implemented didactic leadership curricula, with varying levels of structure and success. Project-based learning via completion of real-world projects using a team-based approach remains an underutilized approach to developing student leadership skills. We designed and implemented the Medical Educational Consulting Group (Med ECG)-a student-run consulting program that provides medical students with opportunities to develop leadership skills by completing consulting projects with local clients. We provide an overview of the Med ECG model, including a combination of didactic training sessions and project-based learning via both simulation and real-world projects. Surveys were used to evaluate the value of Med ECG to clients, the community, and students. Fourteen medical students (eight first-years, two second-years, three third-years, and one fourth-year, including five dual-degree candidates) completed the Med ECG program. Client feedback pointed to the value of Med ECG's projects and their impact on the community through partner organizations. Finally, linear regression analysis showed a strong positive correlation (R2 = .61) between the amount of effort devoted to various leadership attributes and the perceived improvement while working with Med ECG. Med ECG's experiences show that a medical student-led project-based learning program is a novel way to develop leadership skills for future physician leaders. Efforts to replicate these types of programs will help additional students develop their leadership and business skills, making a positive impact outside of the classroom.