VII .3. Teacher’s Guide to Project Approach: Project Phases at School

Read the text and decide if the statements below it are True or False

In the context of education ’projects’ can be defined as extended investigations of phenomena in the children’s own environment. These investigations take some time, may be done at different locations and promote in-depth understanding of the complexity of phenomena in question. In the process learners are motivated and play an active role throughout the life time of the project. Another important aspect of education projects is that teachers are facilitators, who guide their learners through the whole process.

Education projects are usually three-phase projects.

Phase 1 is about establishing the foundation for the project. The topic to be investigated is identified and, ideally, it is done by the teacher and the learners together. The teacher’s role in this phase is to build interest in the topic through making it personal for the children. The teacher may encourage children to share their own personal stories with each other, to bring some topic-related items –books, toys, photos – into the class and they should talk about them. In the meantime the teacher identifies children’s interests, assesses their knowledge of the topic, learns about the gaps in their current knowledge. On the basis of this information the teacher helps children formulate questions and problems which they can and will investigate. 

Phase 2 is the inquiry phase, it is about finding results. During this period the teachers enable children to go on field trips, meet experts, consult websites, books, magazines and, using their newly acquired knowledge, share information and ideas and/or create artifacts.

Phase 3 is the conclusion of the study. It is also about involving others and disseminating the results. During this phase the children review their achievements. Another feature of this phase is that the children share their findings not only with their classmates and classroom teachers, but also with children and teachers from other classes, with their family members, or other members of the local community.