Page 186 - Igor Ž. Žagar in Ana Mlekuž, ur. Raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju: mednarodni vidiki vzgoje in izobraževanja. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2020. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes 38
P. 186
r aziskovanje v vzgoji in izobr aževanju: mednarodni vidki vzgoje in izobr aževanja
Interdisciplinary learning in a project-based approach
Student 7: It seems that everything depends on the project topic that we are
working on, but I am sure that we can always apply the various knowledge
we have acquired from all the different subjects. For example, we have been
preparing an English project on coming of age in Japan. In order to do our
best, we connected various content, and our knowledge from different sub-
jects such as geography, history and sociology, especially in the part which
talked about Japanese cultural elements, heritage, habits and mythology.
Competency-based learning stimulated in the project-based
approach
Student 25: We did a project assignment for technology production of raw
materials for pharmaceutical products. What I found so interesting and
important was that some of the plants we were studying were poisonous
and my family used to have them at home. I was able to apply this new
knowledge to my daily life and my actual surroundings.
Student 6: The project we did for physics, called Oscillation, actually il-
lustrated how my guitar strings produce vibrations and showed how an old
pendulum clock at my grandfather’s cottage worked... It was very signifi-
cant for me because it allowed me to explain these phenomena through the
formulae we learned while doing the project. The only example I was able to
give before we started the project was that of my childhood swing.
Key differences between traditional teaching approaches
and the project-based method
Student 31: Whenever we do a project, it seems to me that teaching and
learning become more interesting while at the same time helping us ex-
press our creativity without being pressured to fit into a 45-minute lesson,
as is the case in traditional classes.
Student 28: It seems that all of us are equally involved in teaching and
learning while doing projects because if we want to finish our project we
have to work together. It fosters teamwork and somehow you feel more
comfortable and sure that the job will be done properly.
Reflection on student answers
As far as the first category, a learner’s role, is concerned, a dominant pat-
tern appeared in the students’ narratives of them being aware of the impor-
tance of constructing knowledge out of a new learning strategy, as well as
186
Interdisciplinary learning in a project-based approach
Student 7: It seems that everything depends on the project topic that we are
working on, but I am sure that we can always apply the various knowledge
we have acquired from all the different subjects. For example, we have been
preparing an English project on coming of age in Japan. In order to do our
best, we connected various content, and our knowledge from different sub-
jects such as geography, history and sociology, especially in the part which
talked about Japanese cultural elements, heritage, habits and mythology.
Competency-based learning stimulated in the project-based
approach
Student 25: We did a project assignment for technology production of raw
materials for pharmaceutical products. What I found so interesting and
important was that some of the plants we were studying were poisonous
and my family used to have them at home. I was able to apply this new
knowledge to my daily life and my actual surroundings.
Student 6: The project we did for physics, called Oscillation, actually il-
lustrated how my guitar strings produce vibrations and showed how an old
pendulum clock at my grandfather’s cottage worked... It was very signifi-
cant for me because it allowed me to explain these phenomena through the
formulae we learned while doing the project. The only example I was able to
give before we started the project was that of my childhood swing.
Key differences between traditional teaching approaches
and the project-based method
Student 31: Whenever we do a project, it seems to me that teaching and
learning become more interesting while at the same time helping us ex-
press our creativity without being pressured to fit into a 45-minute lesson,
as is the case in traditional classes.
Student 28: It seems that all of us are equally involved in teaching and
learning while doing projects because if we want to finish our project we
have to work together. It fosters teamwork and somehow you feel more
comfortable and sure that the job will be done properly.
Reflection on student answers
As far as the first category, a learner’s role, is concerned, a dominant pat-
tern appeared in the students’ narratives of them being aware of the impor-
tance of constructing knowledge out of a new learning strategy, as well as
186
