AN INVESTIGATION OF REALITY AND CHALLENGES OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

This descriptive study explores the reality of applying Project-based Learning (PBL) in the context of lower and upper secondary schools in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. It also aims to investigate the challenges English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers encounter in applying PBL in their actual language teaching classes. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the quantitative and qualitative data for this study. A total of 80 EFL teachers from 12 provinces of the Mekong Delta participated in the research, including 8 teachers purposively selected from the population for the interviews. The findings of the present research revealed that team PBL and classroom PBL were implemented most in EFL teachers’ teaching contexts. At the same time, whole-school PBL was seldom conducted due to its complexity in implementation. Most teachers fully carried out the step-by-step process of PBL implementation in their teaching. The results also indicated that EFL teachers face certain challenges when implementing PBL. The major challenges included challenges related to curriculum in terms of lack of time, no specific guidance and assessment criteria for PBL implementation; challenges related to students regarding their mixed abilities, differences in interests and learning styles, and lack of necessary materials and skills for doing projects; and challenges related to teachers comprising adaptation of project activities, lack of time for student support, and controlling large classes. These results provide insightful pedagogical implications for how PBL can be more feasible, applicable, and successful in Vietnamese teaching contexts. Article visualizations: