You are on page 1of 5

To what extent US and British education systems supports project-

based learning in Primary School

Literature Review

A study looked at the execution of Project Based Learning implement in the primary schools

present in the UK and the US along with their characteristics that help in education systems.

Project-based learning is distinct from learning that is problem-based. With some similarities, it

involves students in solving an open-ended real-world challenge. It is often used in schools and

other primary institutions around the nation of UK and the US. Due to the issue's nature, it has

less relevance to a real audience (Wurdinger et al., 2007).

Students actively participate in the process of learning and reach their aims via project-based

learning, knowledge exchange, and social interactions. Project-based learning is built on these

three constructivist ideas (Cocco, 2006). This inquiry-based method uses real-world concerns

and difficulties to give a framework for learning that benefits both students and instructors (Al-

Aamri, et.al, 2014).

Learning that is Project-based is obviously related to other educational strategies like problem-

based learning. Both emphasize teamwork to achieve a same goal. Within British and US

primary schools, while working on a project, students may run across obstacles that must be

overcome in order to finish and produce the final product. Students involved in project-based

learning are concerned with the process as compared to those involved in problem-based

learning. Project-based learning is linked to experiential and collaborative learning (Blumenfeld

et al., 1991).
According to Helle et al. (2006), project related work is a kind of cooperative learning that

involves both experiential learning qualities such as active reflection and conscious engagement

with the job at hand. This study explores significant concepts from the primary schools of Britain

and the US that investigate the benefits of project-based learning. Despite having less

achievement than the control group, the experimental group's development was superior. Habok

concluded that using concept maps in the classroom might help students better understand the

relationships between topics. A learning study project methodology has been shown to boost pre-

school science in the US (Ljung-Djärf, et.al, 2014). There is little evidence that PBL affects

student success. Because most studies did not assign participants to experimental or control

groups at random, it was unable to create a causal association (Cuevas et. al., 2005; ChanLin,

2008; Barak & Asad, 2012;). Other studies compared education system of Britain and the US to

test performance to the national average for mandatory examinations (Geier et al., 2008). One

study found that adopting a project-based learning curriculum in primary schools improved topic

knowledge, although they were non-randomized studies on small projects with few UK and US-

based studies. While PBL has been demonstrated to benefit technology, science, and history

outcomes, no prior research has established its usefulness in literacy examinations.

Although most research were small and conducted outside the UK and the US, good results were

seen with primary school kids. Project-based learning has been utilized to teach low-achieving

and second chance to students in the US. Students' motivation and self-esteem were increased by

early success in scientific-technological project-based learning. Boaler (1998) evaluated two

cohorts of British secondary school pupils for eight years, comparing open, project-based

learning against traditional teaching approaches. The comparison group was recruited from a

comparable demographic and educational profile as the experimental group. They used a variety
of measures to test students' ability. They had developed separate sorts of knowledge.

Mathematics created by students in the project-based learning context required more creative and

deeper thinking than procedural knowledge received by students in a traditional teaching group.

The project-based school pupils also had greater pass rates than the traditional school students.

The best approaches to implement project-based learning in the classroom have been studied

extensively. The research generated 5 suggestions:

 Throughout the PBL process, students should be guided and encouraged, with a focus on

time management, student autonomy, and safe and productive technology usage.

 Teachers should be able to network and grow professionally on a regular basis. It is vital

to have senior school authorities’ support.

 Good group work ensures that all students have equal agency and involvement in the

educational process.

 To enable students to work independently, a balance between didactic instruction and

student-led inquiry is required.

 The assessment process requires reflection, self-examination, and peer review.

Learning with the involvement of projects technique addresses these points. Instructors get year-

round support, and senior management and real-time projects instructors work closely together.

The online community and Classroom Coaches assist students learn about PBL and how to

handle group work. The program's guidelines provide pro formats for measuring and monitoring

progress which is essential in the education systems and adoption for the nations, US and Britain.
References

 Wurdinger, S., Haar, J., Hugg, R., & Bezon, J. (2007). A qualitative study
using project-based learning in a mainstream middle school. Improving Schools,
Vol. 10, No.2, pp. 150-161. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 Cocco, S. (2006). Student leadership development: the contribution of project-based
learning. Unpublished Master’s thesis. Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC. [Accessed
on: March 06, 2022].
 Al-Balushi, S. M., & Al-Aamri, S. S. (2014). The effect of environmental science
projects on students’ environmental knowledge and science attitudes. International
Research in Geographical & Environmental Education, Vol. 23, No.3, pp. 213-227.
[Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 Blumenfeld, P.C., Soloway, E., Marx, R.W, Krajcik, J.S., Guzdial, M. and Palincsar, A.
(1991). Motivating project-based learning: sustaining the doing, supporting thelearning,
Educational Psychologist Vol. 26, pp. 369–398. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 Helle, L., Tynjälä, P. & Olkinuora, E. (2006). Project-based learning in post-
secondary education – theory, practice and rubber sling shots. Higher Education, Vol.
51, pp. 287-314. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 Habok, A. (2015). Implementation of a project-based concept mapping
developmental programme to facilitate children's experiential reasoning and
comprehension of relations. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, Vol.
23, No.1, pp. 129-142. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 jung-Djärf, A., Magnusson, A., & Peterson, S. (2014). From Doing to Learning:
Changed focus during a pre-school learning study project on organic decomposition.
International Journal of Science Education, Vol. 36, No.4, pp. 659-676. [Accessed on:
March 06, 2022].
 Cuevas, P., Lee, O., Hart, J. & Deaktor, R. (2005). Improving science inquiry with
elementary students of diverse backgrounds. Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, Vol. 42 No. 3, pp. 337-357. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 ChanLin, L.J. (2008). Technology integration applied to project-based learning
in science. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Vol. 45, No.1, pp. 55-
65. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 Barak, M. & Asad, K. (2012). teaching image-processing concepts in junior high
schools: boys’ and girls’ achievement and attitudes towards technology. Research in
Science & Technological Education, Vol. 30, No.1, pp. 81-105. [Accessed on: March 06,
2022].
 Geier, R., Blumenfeld, P.C., Marx, R.W., Krajcik, J.S., Fishman, B. Soloway, E. &
Clay-Chambers, J. (2008). Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in
inquiry-based science curricula in the context of urban reform. Journal of Research in
Science Teaching, Vol. 45, No.8, pp. 922-939. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].
 Boaler, J. (1998). Open and closed mathematics: student experiences and
understandings. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Vol. 29, No.1, pp. 41-
62. [Accessed on: March 06, 2022].

You might also like