EFFECTIVENESS OF PROJECT BASED-LEARNING IN ENHANCING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS OF STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

The study carried out is referred to as the effectiveness of project based-learning in enhancing critical thinking skills of students in elementary schools. This study was conducted at a Government Girls Elementary School in Lahore, focusing on Grade VIII Science students during the academic session 2022–2023. The research design was experimental, employing a pre-test and post-test control group design, where experimental and control groups were used. The school selected for the research was a Government Girls Elementary School in Lahore. It comprised 50 Grade VIII students who were enrolled in the 2022-2023session. All 50 students were administered a pre-test, after which they were divided into two equal groups of 25 students each. Ability matching was conducted to ensure that the experimental and control groups were similar in terms of their pre-test performance. Two research tools, namely a pre-test and a post-test, were used to collect data. The two instruments were based on the Grade VIII Science textbook provided by the Punjab Textbook Board. Each test carried 96 marks and was designed to assess four cognitive domains. Mean scores, standard deviations, t-values, and p-values were used as statistical methods. The findings revealed that post-test scores differed significantly between students who learned through Project-Based Learning (PBL) and those who learned through traditional teaching strategies at the elementary science level. The experimental group scored higher than the control group, indicating that the PBL approach was effective. In addition, significant differences were observed across different domains of critical thinking. Students who experienced Project-Based Learning showed significant improvement in the application domain, reflecting an enhanced ability to apply knowledge. It is recommended that science teachers be provided with well-designed science kits containing materials required for classroom activities.