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. Introduction Educational technology forms availability of education and improvement in quality of education. Development in technology brings about changes and shift in educational goals which, in their turn, stimulate the emergence of new technique. Information and communication technology (ICT) covers different types enabling use to receive, share and exchange information. The masses of 21 st century lived in technology and media embedded surrounding, they had access to ICT in abundance and they had skills to adopt changes and collaborate adding their own contribution in a large scale. In knowledge oriented society a learner needs to have proficiency in 21 st century skills, including functional and critical thinking skills, additionally they are required to have information literacy, media literacy and ICT literacy. A major objective of education is to keep pace and pattern with advancement in knowledge to be successful. Knowledge cannot be received passively. It is something be actively discover. The other objectives contained instigating curiosity, inspiration of creativity, proper interests, values and attitudes to promote independent study and competence to make judgments of one's own. It needs to provide real life skills, encourage innovation and support student talents. The development of innovation skills in complex and complicated environment demarcated a line high academic achievers and low academic achievers. The innovative skills included innovation, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. For developing skills to use these technologies teachers should use new methods and approaches to teaching. These new approaches can help teachers develop these skills with the help of information and communication technology and tailor learning as per required by the time. Project-based learning (PBL) is one of new approach which can help teacher making teaching according to the need of the time. It is an approach that focused students and priority is given to him for learning activities. In student-centered learning, students are carefully heard, patiently listened and considerably given preference. The classroom activities are determined and developed following their interests, abilities and needs. There is a great change in teacher and pupil roles. Now teacher role has shifted from knowledge transmitter to learning facilitator, collaborator and coach. Teacher is not a primary source of information but he or she becomes a knowledge explorer, knowledge enhancer and co-learner. The learners are provided with options and assigning them responsibilities for their own learning. There is also great change in student role with the time. Now students are not silent, passive listeners of the lecture delivered by teachers, reproduce knowledge and act as a solitary person but he or she is active participant of all the teaching learning process and providing input to knowledge and sharing it with others by collaboration and mutual understanding. In learner-centered classroom activities, students often work together in small groups, and they decide between themselves what each member's respective role should be. Seeking solutions to real-life problems, gathering information, analyzing data-this is called project-based learning (PBL). There is nothing particularly new about this type of learning since good teachers have frequently incorporated project work, individual or group, into regular classroom activities. In project-based learning, students are at the centre of the learning process, engage in long-term studies of the topics, connect their learning to the real world and collaborate with each other. With using specific classroom seniors, teachers can explore characteristics of project-based learning and can organize the curriculum, the classroom, technology and the