IMPLEMENTING PROJECT BASED LEARNING IN RURAL AREAS: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

English language teaching (ELT) in rural educational settings often encounters significant obstacles, including limited instructional resources and reduced student engagement. The incorporation of authentic, learner-centred approaches such as project-based learning (PBL) holds potential for addressing these issues and enhancing ELT effectiveness. Despite this potential, the application of PBL in rural English classrooms is rarely investigated. This study seeks to view the effect of Project based learning in English language classroom of rural educational context. This research investigated the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in seventh-grade English language classes at a rural public higher secondary school over the course of an academic year, encompassing both fall and spring semesters. Moreover, data collection drew upon both qualitative and quantitative sources to ensure a comprehensive and triangulated understanding of the research problem. The Instruments included a custom-designed closed-ended questionnaire, an open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with students and the teacher, and analysis of student-generated project outputs. The closed-ended questionnaire comprised 18 items, designed to assess participants perceived development of competencies attributable to the PBL experience. The findings indicate that PBL fosters holistic student development, leading to heightened interest in and confidence with the English language, alongside measurable improvements in language proficiency.