A Quasi-Experimental Study on Situated Learning and Project-Based Learning in Fifth-Grade Chinese: Effects on Reading Comprehension and Analytical Thinking
Situated Learning and Project-Based Learning i
Abstract
In the context of global educational reform emphasizing the cultivation of students' reading comprehension and analytical thinking abilities, this study addresses the research gap regarding the combined effect of situated learning and project-based learning on these skills, especially in the Chinese curriculum for fifth graders. Existing studies mainly focus on single instructional methods, and the combined impact remains unclear. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with 79 fifth-grade students randomly divided into an experimental group (receiving combined situated and project-based learning) and a control group (receiving traditional teaching). Among the research instruments were found to be the reading comprehension test paper and the analytical thinking assessment scale, and both reliability and validity were appropriately verified. Primary findings point out that (1) the experimental group achieved significantly higher test scores than their initial scores as well as higher average scores compared to the control group in the post-test. Due to the incorporation of the combined instructional approach, it can thus be concluded that the strategy worked successfully. The manuscript's major distinguishing point is to be novel in its investigation of the integrated teaching method conducted at the Chinese teaching context and its design as well as empirical evidence of the good effect it brings, whereas the limitations do exist and the further research should be foreseen.
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