Importance and Effectiveness of Project Based Learning in Early Years Reported by Taqi Ali Agha to Miss Sadia Iqbal for the Early Childhood Education Course Greenwich University, B.Ed Introduction: Traditional teaching methods might have shown success in the past where the economy, the technology used at work and learning overall could have been as slow paced. In their later years, students may experience lack of sufficient skills, those they might only get a chance to nurture during work, or debating and presenting in front of their class, for instance. As a result, firms might hire only those who naturally possess the required skills and thus the student of today is demanded to have learned social and other personal skills at work, to identify what they are so that they will not wrongly assume that they belong somewhere, only to realise that they belong elsewhere after firms spend huge sums of money for their trainings and what not. According to Piaget, the process of environment cognition and acquisition of the basic skills occurs since the day that the person is born and continues through the rest of their life (Chalky Papers, Early Education Learning Theory, 2023). This suggests that whatever the child might acquire, positive or negative, there is a good chance for them to carry it through their life. As most parents leave their children to the use of gadgets like iPads while they are having lunch, for instance, to not have to attend them and do other chores or work, their social and cognitive engagement needs remain unmet and this leads to a failure of acquiring social and cognitive skills they might require in the future (Rosalyn, 2021). Since traditional teaching methodology fails to asses these skills while newer takes on education especially project-based learning or PBL gives a chance to the teacher to assess students in action (McDowell, 2017) and also helps students to carry their learning through their lives (Claussen, 2017) it means that they will get a chance to develop and nurture those abilities as required by employers later in the years. Early learners should start to acquire these skills through these new approaches and as above-mentioned evidence suggests the importance of these skills by pointing out that such skills are harder to develop later, might as well be addressed sooner than later in their school. In their research on social development in early childhood through project-based learning approaches, Farida and Rasyid (2018) argue that project-based learning fosters investigation, purpose and meaningful learning as well as collaboration and inter-personal skills. As the approach is less dependent on abstract concepts stored in memory, it provides a more robust way of execution and demonstrations of inter-personal abilities and development options. Since they are a more student-centred approach and do not leave the teacher to assess students through a standardised test as pointed out in the article by Pear Tree elementary, but proves to cultivate active learning. A teacher-centred approach might not induce active learning though only motivate the person to know just enough so as to cross the mark boundary while there is less focus on overall development. While Claussen’s (2017) also argues that project-based approaches not only cultivate short-term as well as long-term learning but also develop social skills especially if started in early years. New methodologies like PBL, thus provide a good platform for these necessary skills to be fostered and developed while traditional teaching methodologies are more teacher-centred proving that the teacher has done their job and only provides short-term benefits while sacrificing on the longterm ones as explained (Harris-Helm and Katz, 2011). It is quite concerning that once a child shows a few abilities and gets marked and certified, might not even have those abilities later when required. Newer ‘gold standard’ teaching approaches amongst those which include PBL, if applied rigorously, can ensure that learners get to solve real world problems and also understand how to apply these learnings in their lives (De Vivo, 2022). Thus, these approaches ensure that the skill is transferred to a new level and carry them on to keep developing in that particular regard. According to Duke (2020) project-based learning provides opportunities for students to engage in sense making driven by their social contexts especially through long-term engagement and real-life issues which can relate to their life outside of school. By focusing on real-life examples of problems to solve, PBL and other new teaching approaches may give students a unique chance none of which traditional methods might be expected to inculcate. Krajcik et al. (2202) also find evidence of effectiveness in curricula which include project-based learning approaches to teaching help develop professional skills and learning in science students as well. Practical approaches like PBL, hence, are becoming more important than ever before and must be applied so that the learning gap can be bridged and a transitory pathway from the world of education to the world of work is provided. These approaches, hence, are of utter importance and might also be the bridge required by recruiters who are depending on candidates having these abilities for hiring effective and efficient staff with multiple skills and aptitudes. Project-based learning, should thus be inculcated in mainstream early years teaching to make students learn social, cognitive and other required skills and push-start their development from that point onwards and not only deposit theoretical knowledge in their memory bank. Literature Review: To gather evidence for point being made, following literature was thoroughly studied to create a sound argument for the inculcation and importance of newer teaching approaches like PBL to be part of early years education. Teaching approaches with early years learners which are more student-centred like the project-based learning, cultivate active learning and fosters skills required in real life or future projects such as prioritising, investigation, purposefulness, collaboration and peopleskills. Farida and Rasyid (2018), investigate the effectiveness of PBL approach to social development in early childhood and claim that it enhances cooperation and provides an active process for children to work together and remain motivated in the learning process. They also claim that it provides a meaningful approach for any educational level. The result found that project-based learning approach has positive influence on children social skill development. The project-based learning approach also enhances cooperation among children. The projectbased learning approach is a meaningful approach for any educational levels. It provides active process for children to work together and motivate them in the activity provided (Farida and Rasyid, 2018). Meanwhile, (Harris-Helm and Katz, 2011) there is also evidence cited in Danielle Claussen’s (2017) literature review of the implementation of PBL in early childhood classes suggests that it is a child-initiated learning activity which contributes to the student’s short and long term academic and social development. He also contrasts it with traditional methodologies and approaches that are more teacher-centred to have short-term benefits, hence, long-term development is sacrificed. De Vivo (2022) finds out that in well executed project-based learning approaches to teaching, students get to explore real-world problems with both individual and group projects as they start to make sense of why is it useful and how it might be applied in their lives. They also add the evidence-based research at Michigan State University that of the four gold standard approaches to teaching, PBL improves student learning, suggesting that PBL approach has to be included in mainstream education, especially early years. On the contrary, traditional teaching seems to leave out any skill that might not have developed. Sward, Rosalyn (2021) writes that unmet developmental needs consequentially lead to failure of acquiring language and social skills and that child’s increased engagement with personal electronic gadgets has caused this. Claussen (2017) states that project work teaches young children to be responsible for their own learning and try to look for answers to the questions they think of. Therefore, it teaches children how to learn and enjoy the process. He also adds that implementing project-based learning into children’s classrooms will help them carry the learning through their lives. Traditional Learning classrooms, also test each student in a standardised manner and thus only one or two kinds of learnings. Pear Tree, a Canadian Elementary school collect contrasting benefits of project-based learning against traditional learning and suggest that project-based learning gives a chance to students to explore their own strengths and also allows the teacher to find that out as well, while the later does not. (Ableson, peartree.school) McDowell (2017) writes an article in Edutopia, a George Lucas educational foundation, that project-based learning and teaching methods gives teachers a chance to asses students in action (AIA) whether it would be a math problem, debate or drafting papers. Traditional teaching, however, does not offer this platform. At least theoretically, project-based learning provides opportunities for students to engage in sensemaking driven by their social contexts, particularly by extended engagement with authentic problems, needs, or opportunities in their community or the larger world (Duke, 2020). Hence PBL is a more practical approach that might teach students to perform better in the real world as they prove that it represented five to six months of greater learning when compared to a traditional teaching approach. In their extensive study, Duke et al. show that PBL students when compared to a group of students from a school using traditional teaching methods are far ahead in many areas of learning ranging from two to six months (if a nice month school year is considered). Hence arguing that PBL students understand more practical work like locating destinations and navigating through a map and extracting information. Project-based learning approaches does only not offer new curriculum and lesson materials but also offers professional learning and as Krajcik et al. (2022) suggest, is more effective than other interventions is scientific learning. They asses the use and effectiveness of PBL amongst science students and also is indiscriminatory for the learning of students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, students of different races, ethnicities and genders. Conclusion: This article collected a pattern of evidence to amalgamate different benefits and importance of inculcating project-based learning approaches in early childhood education. The literature review also gives competing evidence to compare traditional and newer learning and teaching approaches and their benefits to student achievement. Project-based learning was found to have capabilities, especially if designed and conducted rigorously, to develop skills from an early point in education through early years educational institutions. PBL also gives teachers an assessment chance for the people-skills and social development of children as it can be observed and consequential results can be drawn, as compared to traditional methods which might only asses memory and rote memorisation. Since researches have also shown that inculcating PBL in early years can put student learners at an advantage in many subject areas, it must not only be conducted and formulated in the curricula at school level or university level, but creatively embedded in early learning policies as well. Hence, PBL must be part of school curricula and assessments since early years. References: Ableson, J. (no date) ‘7 Benefits of Project Based Learning Your Children Will Enjoy’, PearTree. Available at: https://peartree.school/7-benefits-of-project-based-learningyour-children-will-enjoy/ (Accessed: 26 May 2023). ChalkyPapers. (2023, April 15). Early Education Learning Theory. Retrieved from https://chalkypapers.com/early-education-learning-theory/ (Accessed: 26 May 2023) Claussen, D. (2017) A Review of Literature: Project Based Learning in Early Childhood, https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/. thesis. Northwestern College, Iowa. Available at: https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=educatio n_masters (Accessed: 26 May 2023). Duke, N. K., Halvorsen, A.-L., Strachan, S. L., Kim, J., & Konstantopoulos, S. (2021). Putting PjBL to the Test: The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Second Graders’ Social Studies and Literacy Learning and Motivation in Low-SES School Settings. American Educational Research Journal, 58(1), 160–200. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831220929638 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0002831220929638 (Accessed: 26 May 2023). Farida, N. and Rasyid, H. (2019) ‘The Effectiveness of Project-based Learning Approach to Social Development of Early Childhood ’, Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 296(2018). doi: https://www.atlantispress.com/article/55917585.pdf (Accessed: 26 May 2023) Krajcik, Joseph & Schneider, Barbara & Adah Miller, Emily & Chen, I-Chein & Bradford, Lydia & Baker, Quinton & Bartz, Kayla & Miller, Cory & Li, Tingting & Codere, Susan & Peek-Brown, Deborah. (2022). Assessing the Effect of Project-Based Learning on Science Learning in Elementary Schools. American Educational Research Journal. 60. 10.3102/00028312221129247. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365000028_Assessing_the_Effect_of_Project -Based_Learning_on_Science_Learning_in_Elementary_Schools (Accessed: 26 May 2023) McDowell, M. (2022) ‘Edutopia’, https://www.edutopia.org/, 17 August. Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/article/choosing-effective-assessments-pbl (Accessed: 26 May 2023). Sword, R. (2021) Why is Child Development So Important in Early Years?, High Speed Training. Available at: https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/child-development-inearly-years/ (Accessed: 26 May 2023). Vivo, K.D. (2022) A new research base for rigorous project-based learning, kappanonline.org. Available at: https://kappanonline.org/research-project-basedlearning-de-vivo/ (Accessed: 26 May 2023).
