A Mixed Methods Study of the Implementation of Project-Based Learning in a United Arab Emirates Middle School

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to explore how teachers implement the Project-Based Learning (PBL) in a middle school in a United Arab Emirates (UAE) EFL context. The study attempted to identify the challenges that teachers might encounter while implementing the PBL. In the first, qualitative phase, the research main question focused on exploring how teachers implement the PBL approach and the challenges that teachers might encounter while implementing it. The study is significant because it examines the implementation of PBL in classrooms and the challenges that teachers might face while applying this approach. The data were collected through the use of a semi-structured observation which is a qualitative instrument used widely to gather qualitative data. In the second, quantitative phase of the study, the researcher used two questionnaires to collect quantitative data, one for teachers and the other was for students. The questionnaires were based on the results of the first phase which was a qualitative one. The number of participating teachers was five (n = 5) and the number of participating students was one hundred (n = 100). The response rate was 75%. On the one hand, the participants' answers to the questionnaires items on the questionnaire scales were analyzed using descriptive statistics. On the other hand, the results of the qualitative and quantitative phases were integrated while interpreting the outcomes of the entire study. Based on the findings from the qualitative and quantitative phases of the study, it was noticed that PBL is an effective method of teaching, yet it has some challenges that can be dealt with proficiently by teachers and curriculum designers.