Project Method

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Historical Background

• 1900-Richards Colombia University

• 1908- Stevenson J.A used the term
• 1911- Massachusetts State Board of
Education
• 1918- professor W.H. Kilpatrick of
Colombia University made formal
attempt to use in education
• based on John Dewey’s philosophy of
pragmatism, which stresses the
principle of “learning by doing”
Teaching Strategies
Project
Method
 Characteristics
• It takes the student beyond the walls of the class room.
• It is carried out in a natural setting, thus making learning
realistic and experiential.
• It encourages investigative learning and solution of practical
problems.
• It is focused on the student as it enlists his/her active
involvement in the task set.
• It encourages the spirit of scientific enquiry as it involves
validation of hypotheses based on evidence gathered from
the field through investigation.
• It promotes a better knowledge of the practical/functional
aspects of knowledge gained from books.
• It enhances the student’s social skills, as it requires
interaction with the social environment.
• Teacher plays a facilitative role rather than the role of an
expert.
• It allows the students a great degree of freedom to choose
from among the options given to them, hence it provides a
psychological boost.
Teaching Strategies
• ItProject
encourages the spirit of research in the student.
Method
 Definition
• A project is a whole-hearted purposeful activity
proceeding in a social environment – W.H. Kilpatrick
• A project is a bit of real life that has been imparted
into school – Ballord
• It is a voluntary undertaking which involves
constructive effort or thought and eventuates into
objective results – Thomas & Long
• A project is a significant practical unit of activity of a
problematic nature planned and carried to
completion by the pupils in a natural manner
involving the use of physical materials to complete
the unit of experience - Bossing
• A project is any unit of activity, individual or group,
involving the investigation and solution of problems,
planned and carried out to conclusion under the
guidance of the teacher – Callahan & Clark

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Types of Project method

Dr.W.H.Kilpatrick, in his paper on “The Project Method”

(1918), has classified projects on the basis of tasks
involved.
• Problem Type: A project that involves investigation and
solution of practical problems (eg: doing a project on the
problem of low literacy level in a nearby village,
investigating pollution problems, investigating community
health problems etc.)
• Product Type: A project that involves construction of a
useful material object or article to embody some idea or
plan in external form.(eg: making a model of the wooden
cantilever bridge over the Phochu river in Punakha)
• Consumer Type: A project that provides opportunities for
experience on a particular area/field and writing an
account of it. (eg: attending a festival in a village and
writing an account on its aesthetic value.)
• Drill Type: A project that provides opportunities for
mastery of skill or knowledge on a particular area/field.
(eg: writing a critical analysis “on the system of
government during the rule of first and second Desis”)
Project Teaching Strategies
Method
 Principles of Project Method
• The Principle of Utility: The project work attempts to
study, investigate and find solution to a practical problem.
The problem is not abstract but a concrete one which the
learner can identify. The learner is convinced of the need to
investigate the problem as it definitely has an impact on the
life around him. Thus, the project work has utility value.

• The Principle of Readiness: The learners are allowed to

choose any one from a set of problems presented. Thus, the
learners are given freedom to choose the problem based on
their interest. As a result, the learners show a high degree of
readiness.

• The Principle of Learning by doing: This method is

activity-based method and the learners acquire the
knowledge based on work and practical experience. Thus,
whatever learning takes place is the by-product of the activity
and this makes learning a memorable and an enriching
experience.

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Principles of Project Method
• The Principle of freedom at work: The teacher
acts only as a guide and facilitator and the learners
enjoy a high degree of freedom to choose and work
on their own with least assistance from the
teacher. The freedom allowed to the student
facilitates the process of emotional and intellectual
development in the child.

• Principle of Socialization: The project work

attempts to provide opportunities for the student to
acquire social skills necessary at a later stage to
move and fit into the system of society easily and
profitably. The student under this method comes
into contact with the social environment and during
the course of active interaction with various
elements of social environment acquires the social
skill.
Project Teaching Strategies
Method
 Stages & Steps in Problem type
Project
According to Diana and L.Booth (1986),
a problem type project has three
distinct stages,

• Class room planning

• Execution
• Conclusion

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Stages & Steps in Problem type
Project
Classroom planning: In this stage, the important
aspects related to the project work are discussed
and the execution of the project work is planned
thoroughly. There are 4 steps under this stage.
Step 1 : Providing a set of problems: The teacher
provides a set of problems to the students and
initiates discussion on them. The students,
individually or groups are asked to choose a
particular problem that interest them.
Step 2 : Selecting and defining a problem: The
students select a particular problem (individually
or in groups) and define the problem precisely.
The precise definition of the problem is very
important because the student should be clear
about the problem in which he/sheTeaching
works.Strategies
Project
Method
 Stages & Steps in Problem type
Project
Step 3 : Formulating hypothesis: Hypothesis are
probable solutions to the problems. The students
at this point , after reflection and discussion, frame
a hypothesis for the problem selected.
Step 4: Planning/Designing methods to test the
hypothesis formulated: The teacher then asks
the students to plan or design methods to test the
correctness of the hypothesis framed for the
problem selected. The student reflect on the nature
of the problem, the hypothesis framed, the data
required to validate the hypothesis, the mode of
collecting such data etc., and plan/design a
comprehensive method to test the hypothesis. The
teacher, before the commencement of the
execution stage, discusses the evaluation criteria
with the students and briefs them on the format of
the project report to be submitted. Teaching Strategies
Project
Method
 Stages & Steps in Problem type
Execution : In this stageProject
the student comes into contact with
the social environment and active interaction results
between the two. This stage provides ample opportunity
for the learner to acquire and improve social skills. The
steps under this stage are,
Step 5 : Collection of data: The students move out of the
class room and as per their plan begin to gather data from
various sources. They have to carefully record the
information collected and later organise the information in
a way that would facilitate further study and interpretation.
Step 6 : Interpretation of data: At this point the students
study carefully the data collected and interpret information
collected. The interpretations are noted down and the
findings and conclusions are arrived at.
Step 7: Reviewing: The students then critically examine the
methods adopted to collect the data, the adequacy of the
data collected, the interpretation of the data and the
conclusions arrived at which either support or reject the
hypothesis formulated. After this the teacher is consulted
and a review of the entire project exercise is made. The
suggestions and recommendations of the teacher are
Teaching
incorporated in the first draft of the project
Project Strategies
report.
Method
 Stages & Steps in Problem type
Project
Conclusion: In this stage, the project work report is
submitted by the students and the Evaluation of
the same is undertaken by the teacher. The steps
under this stage are,
Step 8 : Reporting: The students present their
findings in the form of a project- report, after
receiving the corrected first drafts submitted.
The report generally consists of the following
components,
Introduction: A description of the topic being studied,
along with relevant background information is
given here. A clear statement of the purpose, and
scope of the study should be included.
Materials and methods used: A description of the
equipments, methods and procedures used and
experiments performed is given.
Project Teaching Strategies
Method
 Stages & Steps in Problem type
Project
Observations and results obtained: The recorded
observations and the data collected are noted
under this section.
Discussion: Interpretation of the data/ findings,
comparison of the results with other workers in
the same field and the conclusions arrived at.
Bibliography: List of references if any

Step 9: Evaluating: The teacher evaluates the

work submitted, on the basis of the evaluation
criteria discussed and decided upon with the
students. The evaluation criteria should be clear,
specific and comprehensive.

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Procedural steps for Product type,
Consumer type and Drill type project
• The following procedural
works steps may be
followed while carrying out Product type,
consumer type and drill type project works,

1. Providing a set of topics/ sub topics/issues

etc.,
2. Selecting
3. Purposing (Objectives)
4. Executing
5. Reviewing
6. Reporting
7. Evaluating (In this case, the set of criteria may
differ from that of problem type)
Project Teaching Strategies
Method
 Role of the Teacher in a
project work
1. The teacher is not a dictator or a commander but a friend,
guide and a working partner.
2. He should provide occasions for shy pupils to come
forward and contribute something towards the success of
the project.
3. He should help the students in developing the character
and personality by allowing them to accept the
responsibilities and discharge them efficiently.
4. He should provide democratic atmosphere in the class so
that the pupils can express themselves fully without any
fear of the teacher.
5. He should be alert and active all the time to see that the
project is running in its right lines.
6. He should have a thorough knowledge of individual
children so as to allot them work accordingly.
7. He should have initiative, tact and zest for learning

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Merits of Project Method
• This method is based upon the laws of learning. ie.,
– Law of readiness: The pupils are made ready to learn by
creating interest, purpose and life-like situations.
– Law of exercise: By practicing, we learn things. There is
self-activity on the part of the students. They carry on the
activity in the real life situations; the experiences gained
thus are very useful in the later life of the children.
– Law of effect: The sense of success and satisfaction
should accompany the learning process. This law makes it
essential for the teacher to make the child satisfied and
feel happy in what he/she is learning.
• It promotes co-operative activity and group
interaction. As a result habits of thinking for a
common cause, tolerance, self-dependence,
resourcefulness and other socially desirable habits
are formed.

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Merits of Project Method
• It is a democratic way of learning. The children
choose, plan and execute the project themselves.
• It teaches dignity of labour and the pupils develop
respect and taste for all types of work.
• It affords opportunity to develop keenness and
accuracy of observation and to experience the job
of discovery.
• It helps to widen the mental horizon of pupils. Old
beliefs and prejudices are overcome when the
child experience and analyse the problems in their
natural settings.
• It sets up a challenge to solve a problem and this
stimulates constructive and creative thinking.

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Demerits of Project Method

• It absorbs a lot of time, with the result that the

quantity of knowledge suffers.
• The whole syllabus, especially for more advanced
classes, cannot well be included in a collection of
projects and it is difficult to finish the syllabus in the
limited time.
• It is expensive in the sense that a well-equipped
library and a laboratory are required and at the
same time, the pupils have to bear the expenses on
excursion and other visits etc.
• The teacher will have to be exceptionally gifted,
knowledgeable as well as alert and helpful.
•

Project Teaching Strategies

Method
 Task

• Read the Model lesson Plans

• Plan a lesson using the project

method in your group for
presentation to the class

Project Teaching Strategies

Method