"Was very father" : Mexican high-school students' perspectives of Project-based Language Learning

Abstract

Project-based Learning (PjBL) is often described in the literature (e.g., Al-Balushi and Al- Aamri, 2014; Karaçalli and Korur, 2014; etc.) as an educational model that works. Despite the substantial number of studies on the model, little has been done in the way of exploring students’ perspectives of the use of PjBL in English language classrooms. Such a reality is especially true in secondary education contexts in Latin American countries. This thesis reports on an original research study conducted to assess students’ perspectives of Project-based Language Learning (PBLL) in three public high schools in the state Jalisco, in Mexico. The study’s main objectives were to uncover learners’ value judgements about their PjBL experience; to determine the perceived outcomes of that learning event, and; to identify factors contributing to or hindering learning in that context. Qualitative data was collected (n=456) by means of survey, following the implementation of an eight-week pilot, after which thematic analysis was used to analyze the responses. Main research findings show that learners predominantly view their PBLL experience positively and find that PBLL helps them develop not only language, but also content and competencies. The study also found that acknowledging people as resources, promoting interaction through group work, and actively using the language are understood to be practices conducive to learning, whilst having limited time and having peers with negative attitudes/different ideas are believed to hinder learning. Such findings are in line with those of existing literature (e.g., Mali, 2017; Miller, Hefner and Fun, 2012) and shed light on the complexity of learning, in addition to providing valuable evidence to further support the claim that PjBL lends itself well to CLIL education.