Pragmatic Promise to Pedagogical Intent and the Limits of Project Work: A Qualitative study
Project work has been identified and integrated into the secondary level curriculum by Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) to develop the students’ creativity and engagement in language learning. Students develop collaboration, language ability, and content knowledge through proper use and implementation and active participation in project work. However, most of the students and teachers are reluctant to implement and participate in the project work and skip the task and engage in other activities, which hinders students’ learning and causes great loss in achievement. The research aims to analyse the current classroom practice for use and implementation and obstacles and challenges identified while participating in project work and to suggest ways to improve for better participation in project work. By analysing the project works from Grades 9 and 10 textbooks and collecting data from English teachers and students, the research evaluates how project work enhances learning outcomes, promotes critical thinking, and aligns with curriculum goals. The findings reveal a gap between textbook design and classroom implementation, calling for teacher training, contextualization, and better resource support. This article focuses on how project work aligns with national curricular goals and international pedagogical trends. Drawing on textbook analysis, classroom observations, interviews, and relevant literature, the study reveals both potentiality and challenges in using project work as an active learning tool.
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