DR RINA GODARA

Project Method

Introduction

The Project Method of teaching was first propounded by John Dewey. It has its origin to the American Philosopher W.H Kilpatrik who was belonged to the pragmatist philosophy and was the main proponent of this method. The basic idea of this method is that pupil can learn a lot of things with the help if association and mutual co-operation. This method promotes purposeful activities through a group of pupils and the pupil will work co-operatively. The pupils will work together by forming small groups according to their interest and abilities. The main objective of this method are learning by doing and learning by living together.

The project method is the embodiment of a new way of looking at the pupil and a new way of teaching him to live. It aims at bringing out what is in the child and at allowing him to develop himself. It gives an opportunity for self-expression, and for relating the self to the community. The idea underlying the method is that the children should develop their knowledge through trying out theories in the practical solution of problems in the course of which they would come to appreciate the principle involved. For this purpose, a project will be purposeful act to achieve the desired objectives.

Definition

“A project is a whole hearted purposeful activity proceeding in a social environment”.

-Kilpatrick

“A project is a problematic act carried to completion in its natural selection”.

-Prof. Stevenson

“A project is a bit of real life that has been imported into school”.

-Ballard

Characteristics of Project Method:

If we analyse the above definitions than following important elements/characteristics emerges:

1. A project is a problematic act

2. It is a purposeful activity

3. It is based on natural setting

4. It is real life based

5. Bit of real life is introduced in classroom

Principles underlying Project Method

1. Principle of Purpose

There must be some objective of the project. The students should know why they are doing that project. They should be clear with the objective. The purpose of the activity will motivate the students in doing the task. The students’ interest cannot be aroused by giving an aimless or meaningless activity.

2. Principle of Freedom

The students should be given freedom to select the project as per their abilities, needs, interest and capabilities. The project should not be forced or imposed by the teacher. The students should not be restricted of or obstructed to select the problem of their choice.

3. Principle of Activity

We all know that students are active by nature. They love performing activities. The students should be given opportunity to learn by doing. They should be provided with both mental and physical activities.

4. Principle of Reality

Life is real and education should prepare for that real life. The Education should prepare students for real life. The project method gives an opportunity to train students for real life. The project should be real, related to life this will make it more interesting and meaningful.

5. Principle of Utility

Knowledge will be meaningful only when it is useful and practical. The project should have the quality of utility. The students will be more involved and enthusiastic if they feel that the project will be of useful to them in their daily life.

Essential Steps of Project Method

The following steps are involved in this method

i. Providing a situation

ii. Choosing the project

iii. Planning

iv. Executing the project

v. Evaluation of the project

vi. Recording of the project

1. Providing a situation:

In this step, a situation is provided to the students to think over. The students should define their own problem, state their own problems and choose their problems in this situation. The role of teacher is to provide real and worthwhile situations. Let the students decide their own project from the situation given to them. The situation should be such where students should feel spontaneous urge to carry out a particular project according to their needs and interests. It’s the responsibility of teacher to identify the interests, needs, tasted and aptitudes of interests.

2. Choosing the project:

In this second step students try to choose a definite and appropriate project keeping in view the available resources and their abilities. The project selected should be purposeful. The students should choose their own project and purposing should also be done by them only. Many situations should be given by the teacher and these situations should be discussed and the teacher should be there to give them suggestions. The decision for selecting project should be democratic. The role of teacher is just to guide and not to thrust the opinion on the students. The children should feel that the project is theirs.

3. Planning:

After selecting the project the next logical step is to plan for it. The teacher should make the students understand the importance of planning before taking up the activity. The effectiveness of the project depends on planning. Good planning will result into better results. The planning should be done collaboratively. The plan for the projects should be discussed, how they want to go about it. All alternatives should be proposed and discussed. In this step the students plan how they are going to conduct their project, they will also plan on the work allocation.

4. Executing the project:

This is the step wherein the students come in action; they actually start working towards project. Students start implementing what they had planned in the previous step. This is where the students actually come into action. The teacher should be observant and keep a track of what the students are doing. In this step the students will perform various activities and will gain various experiences. In this step they will collect information.

In this step students are engaged in the execution of the project in a natural way without involving any artificiality.

5. Evaluation of the project:

The work done by the students has to reviewed and evaluated. One should learn from their own mistakes. The students evaluate their own project in this step. The students will critically examine their own task and find out where they committed mistakes and how they could have made it better. Self-criticism is given more importance. The students should also evaluate what learning experiences they had while doing the project. In this step the work done on the project is evaluated from time to time. The line of action and mode of execution may be modified on the results of such evaluation.

6. Recording:

In this step the documentation is done. The entire process is recorded. All the activities are recorded from starting with providing with situation. All details should be mentioned from the beginning. The recording should be comprehensive. The entire procedure how the problem was identified, what were the problems faced , how they implemented etc. A complete record of the work, their planning, discussion on significant aspects, their achievement etc. has to be developed by the pupils at the end. Also they should record the criticism of their own work and the suggestions for the further work.

Criteria of a good project

A good project can be accessed using the following criteria.

v A project should be purposeful, useful and practically applicable to the daily life of the students, with clear, well defined objectives.

v The project should help in providing useful and meaningful learning experiences to each member of the group.

v The project should be within the reach of the students in accordance with their interest and ability levels.

v The project should be feasible in terms the availability of human and material resources and time limit.

v The level of complexity of the project should match the ability level of the students.

v The learning activities of the project should be life-like purposeful and natural.

Merits of project method

1. Based on Psychological method

Project method is based on psychological principles. It is based on Law of effect, law of readiness, law of exercise.

Law of readiness: according to this law we learn well when we are ready to learn. In project method the freedom is given to students. They are the one who initiates the project so their readiness is always there.

Law of effect: this law states that if your experience is satisfactory and pleasurable then the learning will be more. As project method is based on the interest of students and is activity based they will love doing the activity and in turn learning will be enhanced

Learning will be permanenet

2. Develops democratic way of learning

Liberty, equality and fraternity are some of the cardinal principles which form the basis of project method. Right from the selection of the project till its execution students are provided sufficient freedom for thinking, decision making and going ahead in their assigned tasks. All of these students cooperate in a common project according to their tastes, temperaments, abilities and capacities.

3. Development of the citizenship values

Project method has a scope for developing various values such as self-confidence, tolerance, patience, self-dependence sense of responsibility duty blondness, resourcefulness, mutual love and co-operation etc. These values are very important for being a good citizen.

4. Learning by doing

Project method is based on the maxims of teaching like ‘learning by doing’ and learning by living. The students here learn through their own experiences.

5. Dignity of learner

Project method emphasizes dignity of labour. Students irrespective of their caste, creed and social status join their hands in doing mental and manual labour in the execution of the project.

6. Coorealtion with life and other subjects

Project method has a scope to correlate the knowledge with other subjects. Correlation is also done with the real life.

Demerits of project method

1. Difficulty on the part of the teacher

Project method provides many challenges to the teachers in charge right from theselection of the project till its execution. Every teacher is not equipped with such enthusiasm abilities and leadership essential for working with such a method.

2.Uneconomical method

Project method is an uneconomical method in the sense that the time, labor and amount spent in this method is quite larger than return received.

3. Not suitable for teaching subject

No organized and systematic teaching is possible in the project method.

4. Difficulty in covering the syllabus

Project method put obstacles in terms of the coverage of lengthy school syllabus. Through projects hardly a part of the syllabus can be covered and therefore, it doesn’t suit the present day teaching.

5. Not suitable to the present day condition

In India, our schools can be neither afford sufficient money nor provide appropriate personal for teaching with project method. For using this method, suitable textbooks are also not available. Schools are over crowed and the educational structure is examination oriented.

ADVANTAGES OF PROJECT METHOD

1. It is students centered, activity based method.

2. Students involves whole-heartedly in the learning process according to their needs, attitude, interest and ability.

3. This method is related to the life situation of the students.

4. This method develops the problem solving ability to the students.

5. It makes the students independent and confident.

6. It gives the real work experience to the students.

7. It develops the social qualities and synergism in the students’ heart.

8. It develops the responsibility realization of the students.

LIMITATIONS OF PROJECT METHOD

1. It is a time consuming method.

2. It is difficult to complete the prescribed syllabus in a particular time.