The effects of project-based learning about climate change

Abstract

The study presented in this paper looks at how the problem of climate change can be adequately presented to students in the early grades of primary school, aiming to examine the relationship between project-based learning and the development of student competencies and achievements in this area. Project-based learning took place over the course of two months, as part of the elective environmental club attended by 30 fourth-grade primary school students. Students' initial and final knowledge about climate change was assessed using a test designed for this purpose. Data on the assessment of students' performance and the monitoring of their engagement were collected using a control list for tracking the development and use of student competencies (research, collaborative and personal), while students' views about the realized project were elicited with a questionnaire. The obtained results suggest an increase in students' achievement in the area of environmental content, while students themselves rate their experiences as positive. Systematic observation revealed the development of a series of abilities in students. Of the three categories of abilities, over the course of the project the greatest progress was observed in the category of research abilities, while in the other two categories progress was less pronounced, suggesting that a longer period is needed for their development as well as a more frequent implementation of projects in instructional practice.