University of Education Lahore
Department of English
Course Title General Methods of Teaching
Programme: Multiple Departments
Course Code: EDUC1112
Instructor Name: Asya Mushtaq
Project Method
Unit # 3
Project Method Introduction
• Project method is one of the modern
method of teaching in which, the students
point of view is given importance
• The projects may be suggested by the
teacher, but they are planned and
executed as far as possible by the students
themselves, individually or in groups.
• This method is based on the philosophy of
Pragmatism and the principle of ‘Learning
by doing’.
Continue…
• The project method of teaching had its beginning in the United States in the 1920s, and it
changed the way industrial arts was taught. There was somewhat of a revolution, led by John
Dewey, resulting in many changes.
• These changes brought on by Dewey represented a release from the formal and highly structured
nature of academic learning in the United States at the time ( Barlow, 1967 ).
Definitions of Project Method
• According to W.H. Kilpatrick, “A project is a wholehearted purposeful activity proceeding in a
social environment”.
• According to Ballord, “A project is a bit of real life that has been imparted into school.”
• According to Thomas & Long, “It is a voluntary undertaking which involves constructive effort or
thought and eventuates into objective results”.
Types of Project Method of Teaching
• According to Kilpatric, “A project is a whole-hearted purposeful activity proceeding in a social
environment. Kilpatric has classified the project method in four types.
• Constructive. When learners have to construct some things related to social life. e.g. charts,
models, maps, parcels etc.
• Artistic. These projects are generally allotted in the aesthetic fields of life. e.g. in music, drawing,
painting art and culture.
• Group-Work. A team of students is assigned a work to be performed. e.g. to develop a garden in
the school.
• Problem-Solving. These projects are given to solve the problems related to any life-situation or
related to any subject e.g. how to operate bank accounts? Or how to send an email or letter.
These general problems if solved, will make a child efficient for social-life.
Features of the project method
Impact
The project approach makes it possible, even in a short
period of time, to pass through all stages from an idea to its
implementation and analysis of the results, as it proposes to
work immediately with a specific task.
Activity
A child has the right to make assumptions, to make
mistakes, to acquire practical knowledge and to apply it, and
finally to take pleasure in their own successes and the
successes of their friends.
Continue…
3. Independence
The role of the adult is changing. They are stopping to
be the mere bearer of knowledge, but becoming
coordinators and consultants who guide children and
provide them with a field of study.
4. Practicality
This often provides children with what they do not
receive in a regular school environment.
Continue…
Competence
A child doesn’t obtain this or that skill passively,
but applies them to specific tasks under the
guidance of a professional. Therefore,
our experts are real scientists and IT pros from
Apple, Microsoft and Yandex, professional
musicians and artists, theatre directors, and
sports coaches, all of whom are happy to share
their knowledge and skills with children.
Planning of Project Method
1.Provision of situation
2. Selection of objectives
3. Planning
4.Execution
5. Evaluation
6. Recording
Advantages
• Based on psychological principle
• Child centered
• fulfills the needs of child
• Promotes critical thinking
• Links body and mind
• Links with real situation
• Promote social development
• Working at own pace
• Democratic method
Disadvantages
• Time consuming
• All syllabus cannot be covered
• Costly
• Need teachers expertise
• No coverage of curriculum
• Material not available
• The project cannot be planned for all subjects and whole subject matter cannot be taught by this
strategy.
• It is not economical from the point of view of time and cost.
Suggestions
• This teaching strategy should not be used an independent teaching strategy but as a
supplementary teaching technique.
• Teacher should try to utilize the inexperience and waste projects to prepare models etc.
• To avoid the problem of supervision, teacher may appoint a leader to each group of students.
• Teacher should fix a time limit for each project.
Suggested Links
• https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JITE/v40n3/howell.html
• Barlow, M. L. (1967) . History of industrial education in the United States . Peoria, IL: Bennett.
• Bennett, C. A. (1937) . History of manual and industrial rducation 1870 to 1917 . Peoria, IL: Bennett.
• Farra, H. (1998) . The reflective thought process: John Dewey revisited. The Journal of Creative Behavior , 22(1), 1-8.
• Howell, R. T. (2001) . Fostering self-directed team members. Journal of Technology Studies , 27(1), 51-53.
• https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2337/Project-Method.htm
• https://www.slideshare.net/MandeepGill1/project-method-of-teaching?from_action=save
• http://studylecturenotes.com/project-method-of-teaching-meaning-advantage-disadvantage
• http://w114o71px.homepage.t-online.de/150901.html
• https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/277811/1-s2.0-S1877042814X00364/1-s2.0-S1877042814043766/main.p
