Students’ Attitudes Toward Project-based Learning in an Intermediate Spanish Course
Abstract
Contemporary foreign language education is a state of disarray. Because of the advancement of technology within the past 10 years alone, there is a constant questioning of proper methods for teaching a foreign language. Using culturally relevant andragogy (Parker, 2019) as a framework, this study sought to understand students’ attitudes toward the usage of project-based learning as a curriculum approach in higher education. After experiencing such a curriculum, students were surveyed. Results of the survey indicated that students generally liked project-based learning but felt that there were certain drawbacks with its measuring of success and implementation.References
Berman, R. (2011). The real language crisis. Academe, 97(5), 30-34.
Durden, W. G. (2015). The challenge to foreign language learning in American colleges and universities: Location, location, location. ADFL Bulletin, 43(2), 37-44. doi:10.1632/adfl.43.2.37
Hanney, R. & Savin-Baden, M. (2013). The problem of projects: understanding the theoretical underpinnings of project-led PBL. London Review of Education, 11(1), 7-19.
Kumar, T. (2018). Advancing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in a Secondary Methods Course. Multicultural Perspectives, 20(2), 111-116.
Knowles, M. S. & Associates. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Knowles, M.S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. (6th Ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier.
Lee, C. (2015). Project-based learning and invitations: A comparison. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 30(3). 63-73.
Lenz, B. (2016). Project-based learning with an equity lens. Education Week’s Blog. Retrieved from https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning_deeply/2016/08/project-based_learning_with_an_equity_lens.html?print=1
Maida, C. A. (2011). Project-based learning: a critical pedagogy for the twenty-first century. Policy Futures in Education, 9(6). 759-768.
Mills, G. E. (2017). Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher. New York, NY: Pearson.
MLA Ad Hoc Committee on Foreign Languages. (2007). Foreign languages and higher education: New structures for a changing world. Retrieved from http://www.mla.org/pdf/forlang_news_pdf.pdf
Park, H. & Hiver, P. (2017). Profiling and tracing motivational change in project-based L2 learning. System. 1-15.
Parker, J. (2019). ¿C(ó)mm(o)ent se pr(é)sent(e): Identifying instances of epistemic racism in French and Spanish introductory textbooks and the associated culturally relevant teaching practices in Louisiana universities. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA.
Petersen, C. & Nassaji, H. (2016). Project-based learning through the eyes of teachers and students on adult ESL classrooms. The Canadian
Modern Langauge Review/ La revue cannadienne des langues vivants, 72(1), 13-39.
Radu, L. (2014). Directions in the contemporary American education. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov, 7(56), 57- 62.
Roberts, J. W. (2016). Experiential Education in the College Context. New York, NY: Routledge.
Swaffar, J. (2003). Foreign languages: A discipline in crisis. ADFL Bulletin, 35(1), 20-24.
Trowbridge, G. (2004). Progressive education and civil rights. ENCOUNTER: Education for meaning and social justice, 17(2), 5-8.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication.
Copyrights for articles published in International Journal of Curriculum and Instruction are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.