A Aprendizagem Baseada em Projetos (ABPj) é uma metodologia ativa de ensino e aprendizagem que apresenta aos alunos uma situação-problema orientadora, o que propicia, durante a busca de uma solução, a compreensão dos conteúdos pertinentes. A ABPj consiste numa metodologia de aprendizagem diferenciada, por possibilitar o desenvolvimento de competências técnicas e transversais na resolução de problemas. As competências técnicas são aquelas necessárias para a solução do problema. As transversais, que foram objeto de estudo neste trabalho, abrangem o trabalho em equipe, o desenvolvimento pessoal, a gestão de projetos e a comunicação. Nessa metodologia, o aluno torna-se o centro das atenções, o protagonista de sua aprendizagem. Esse projeto foi pensado e desenvolvido a partir da aplicação da ABPj no ensino da Matemática no Ensino Médio, com o intuito de melhorar o desempenho dos estudantes na disciplina. A realização de uma pesquisa-ação foi o ponto de partida para o início dos estudos. Nesse percurso, pesquisador e pesquisados participaram ativamente do objeto de pesquisa. O método da pesquisa-ação consiste em planejar as ações, coletar e analisar os dados, implementar as ações e, por fim, avaliar os resultados. Ela foi aplicada em dois ciclos: em 2015 e em 2017. Os resultados da aplicação referente ao primeiro ciclo trouxeram informações que serviram como base para a realização do segundo ciclo. Esta dissertação descreve de forma pormenorizada como foi aplicado ABPj nestes dois ciclos e apresenta os resultados obtidos ao final do segundo ciclo. A ABPj aplicada no ensino da matemática alcançou os resultados esperados, destacando o visível aprimoramento do desempenho pessoal dos alunos, nas relações interpessoais e, principalmente, na melhoria da aprendizagem da matemática. / The Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an active method of teaching and learning in which the students are introduced to a guiding problem situation, which provides, during a search of the solution, a dossier of pertinent information. The PBL consists in a differentiated learning methodology, by allowing the development of technical and transversal skills in solving problems. The technical skills are those necessary to solve the problem. The transversal competences which were the object of study in this study, cover teamwork, personal development, project management and communication. In this methodology, the student becomes the center of attention, the protagonist of its own learning. The following project was thought and developed applying the PBL to the teaching of mathematics in High School, seeking to improve the students\' performance in the discipline. The performance of an action research was the starting point for the beginning of the studies. In this course, researcher and researched were integral parts of the research object. The action research method is structured in planning, collecting data, analyzing data, implementing actions and, finally, evaluating the results. The action research was applied in two cycles, in 2015 and in 2017. The results of the first cycle application brought information that served as the basis for the second cycle. This work describes in detail how the PBL was applied in these two cycles and presents the main results obtained at the end of the second cycle. The PBL applied to the teaching of mathematics reached the expected results, highlighting the visible improvement of the personal performance of the students, in the interpersonal relations, and mainly in the improvement of the learning of mathematics.

This study explored the beliefs of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers about project-based learning (PBL), as they encountered a project-based learning high school where they implemented a project-based unit of instruction. A qualitative study was conducted with one undergraduate cohort in a higher education science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) national initiative that has 40 U.S. replication sites. Using teaching philosophy statements and focus group discussions, the beliefs of STEM pre-service secondary teachers are made visible. The findings from this study reveal a recurring theme: the process of how these pre-service teachers seemed to evolve and mature as teachers, from novice toward becoming an expert, as they asked themselves internal questions that are common to developing teachers. These pre-service STEM teachers experienced 1) internal questions about their own growth as a potential teacher, as evidenced through their verbal and written statements; 2) tension between PBL content and pedagogy; and 3) tension between practice and theory. The findings also infer that there are potential critical variables that may contribute to pre-service teachers’ beliefs. Those variables identified were the following: 1) the sequence of when the project-based instruction (PBI) course was taken; 2) time, as related to when the participant took the PBI course in relationship to the final semester when they were engaged in apprentice teaching; and 3) the field placement location during the apprentice teaching semester.

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Teachers in elementary schools have increasingly been required to follow pacing guides, given directives on what curriculum to use, and are provided standardized assessments to measure student learning. Curricula used by elementary teachers rarely address the environmental degradation plaguing the planet. School gardens have been used for over a century by educators as a place to promote students learning about the environment, science, and health. However, few studies have been conducted exploring the ways teachers have been influenced by teaching within school gardens. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand the role of school gardens as a learning place, while exploring the lived experiences of teachers' interactions and experiences within school gardens and ways place-based education influenced teachers' pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions. The four participants who took part in this study were all elementary school teachers at a Central California school. The guiding research question was stated as: How do school gardens function as learning places? Phenomenological methodology was used to explore the shared experiences teachers had with utilizing the school garden as a learning place. From analysis of interviews, classroom and garden observations, and supplemental curricula used by participants, three themes emerged illuminating ways participants' pedagogy and curriculum decisions had been influenced. Interactions and experiences with school gardens inspired participants to integrate project-based learning and interdisciplinary supplemental curriculum into their lessons. Place-based learning helped to build relationships, and the importance of teachers integrating emotional connections in their instructional practices. By teaching content disciplines using interdisciplinary curricula with lessons taught in the school garden, participants were able to integrate project-based learning activities that increased student responsibilities in the learning process and provided service learning opportunities. Conclusions drawn from the findings were that direct interactions and experiences with elements of place-based learning in a school garden influenced the ways in which participants perceived the purpose of their pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions. Literature supported these findings and reinforced the influence of lessons in school gardens promoting environmental and health education. Connected with the results of this study, implications for practice and recommendations for future research are also presented.

The thesis focuses on a school project on the topic of waste. The project is analysed and evaluated using the 3A methodology. The emphasis in the examination and evaluation of individual activities is placed primarily on the use of project elements and compliance with the principles of project-based learning. The content of the theoretical part deals with the chapter about project-based learning and the principles of this learning. This section also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the method. Further, the work presents an analysis of the current curricular document from the perspective of project teaching and waste. The last part of the theory describes the characteristics of methodology 3A. The practical part deals with the description, analysis, evaluation, and design of convenient alterations of project activities. The thesis also contains a draft for other activities with project elements on the topic of waste, which can be included in the existing project. KEYWORDS Project-based learning, project, methodology 3A, waste, environmental education

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is an organization that utilizes outdoor, project-based learning and critical service learning techniques to support young people in completing large-scale conservation and farming projects statewide. This study aimed to examine the perceived mental health effects of participating in the VYCC, the strategies in the organization that may have led to those changes, and feasible ways for educators to bring those methods into the post-pandemic classroom. Now is an important time to study youth organizations that may have already been having a positive effect on youth mental health, especially because of the negative effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health. A phenomenological qualitative research study was used to examine the perceived mental health effects of the VYCC, the aspects of the organization that led to those changes, and the feasibility of bringing these strategies into the classroom setting. This researcher interviewed five first-time participants in the VYCC throughout their summer experiences, focusing on their perceived mental health and whether they reported changes throughout the summer, as well as the programming that could have led to those changes. This researcher interviewed five recent alumni of the VYCC who currently or recently worked with young people about the lessons or strategies that they took from their VYCC experience into their current or recent work with young people. The study revealed the following results in terms of the VYCC’s perceived effects on mental health, what may have led to those changes, and feasible strategies for the post-pandemic classroom: ● Most VYCC participants in this study reported an increase in confidence and self-efficacy, particularly because of the project-based nature of the work. ● Participants reported decreases in perceived anxiety from the project-based, outdoor nature of the work and the supportive relationships with crew members. ● The nature of the work in the VYCC, in terms of its impact on local communities and tangible results led to increased feelings of joy, pride, satisfaction, and accomplishment. ● Working with people of varying abilities led to both increased stress and feelings of connectedness and empathy for others. ● Negative feedback, breakdowns in communication, and pressure to lead those with varying needs and accomplish projects without feeling properly supported led to feelings of frustration, stress, burnout, and increased anxiety. ● Participants in this study examined their own strengths, personalities, and self-image as a result of the reflective nature of the program. The following results relate to the feasibility of bringing strategies or lessons from the VYCC into the classroom: ● The VYCC inspired participants to teach their own students that the process of learning was just as important as the end product, and that mistakes were opportunities for growth in the learning process. ● The VYCC instilled a strengths-based perspective in alumni participants, and they found that maintaining that perspective in the classroom was beneficial to their students. ● The VYCC crew experience helped participants to view others as holistic beings, and inspired them to get to know their students on a personal level in order to make connections and to build a culture of belonging in their classrooms. ● Alumni participants learned that not every style of communication works well with every student; it is important to try various communication styles with students who learn differently. ● The alumni reported that it was important for teachers to instill in their students a sense of joy of discovery and praise curiosity, encouraging them to celebrate when they learn something new or see something in a different way. ● Alumni participants found that the VYCC experience helped them to learn they should prioritize guiding students in discovering their passions and exploring unique pathways to achieving their own definitions of success. The findings in this study were consistent with the literature on project-based learning, outdoor education, and critical service learning’s positive effects on intrinsic motivation, student engagement, and deeper learning (Einfeld et al., 2008; Grant, 2002; James & Williams, 2017; Kokatsaki et al., 2016; Krsmanovic, 2021; Mackenzie et al., 2017; Myers-Lipton, 1998; Smith & Walsh, 2019). The findings in this study added to the limited literature on the Youth Conservation Corps experience, shining light on its perceived effects on the participants in this study’s mental health (Creed et al., 1996; Dickerson, 1977; Driver & Johnson, 1984; Hamilton & Stewart, 1978; Sayegh et al., 2019). The study indicated the positive effects that project-based learning (PBL) can have on perceived anxiety and self-efficacy of participants in this study, which adds to the research on the mental health effects of PBL (Erdem, 2012; Miguel & Carney, 2022; Samsudin et al., 2020; Shin, 2018). This research also uncovered multiple strategies and lessons from the VYCC model that have already been successfully used in the classroom setting.

The introduction of project-based learning into university engineering programs has been shown to positively benefit students that prefer a hands-on experience and give future employers assurance that recent graduates have the tools to handle real-world problems as opposed to theoretical situations. Enhancing the engineering self-efficacy of students, recent graduates and seasoned engineers is made possible through the solution of complex, open-ended problems typically found in engineering design. A high engineering self-efficacy, in turn, positively reflects a person's perception of their complex problem-solving capacity which is critical throughout the design process. The decision to either work virtually with a team or onsite with group members nearby may also further influence self-efficacy and, ultimately, the designer's success. This raises the question explored in this study: Will a design challenge impact engineering self-efficacy equally for online and in-person participants? Two groups engaged in a design challenge to develop a mechanism meant for drone applications, where one group designed and tested their solution in-person, while the other group sent design plans to a third-party for fabrication and testing. Participants filled out a prototype engineering self-efficacy scale before and after the challenge, revealing a significant difference between these two modalities. The small sample size is noted as the cause for inaccuracies and surprising findings. Guidelines for methodology implementation in a larger scale study are included. / Master of Science / In project-based learning courses, students work in groups to make a prototype or other solution to a stated problem, which are helpful for building student confidence in problem-solving, critical thinking and, especially, engineering skills. This confidence translates to believing that carrying out a specific task will lead to success with little-to-no feelings of fear or failure. This generally describes "self-efficacy," and it can apply to any profession. Traditionally, hands-on projects are done in person, where an exchange of ideas is clear and any problems can be handled immediately. However, with schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these courses had to shift online, leading some to believe that students would not receive the same level and quality of engineering education. Online learning has been around for over 30 years and studies show that students learn just as much, if not more and better, online than sitting in a classroom. Can the same be said for taking part in an engineering project over the internet? Two groups designed a prototype drone attachment, where members of one group worked side-by-side to build and test their solution, while members of the other group worked online and sent files and assembly instructions to a third party. Each participant also filled out a questionnaire before and after the challenge to track their engineering self-efficacy. The limited data led to the conclusion that there is a noticeable difference between the two project completion methods, most likely caused by a low number of participants. The lessons learned from this study were used to create guidelines for a larger-scale study.

This study investigated a Makerspace professional development program, the Makers' Guild, provided to teachers within north Texas over the course of a semester. The research employed a constructionist approach delivered via 2D and 3D technologies during STEM instructional activities within a creative space. Participants reported statistically significant increases in self-reported competence in technology integration, confidence levels toward integrating World Wide Web, Emerging Technologies for Student Learning, Teacher Professional Development, and attitudes toward math, technology, science, and STEM careers.

This diploma thesis is focused on the origin and history of elementary education system in the area Prague- west. The work is divided into two main parts, theoretical and practic. The theoretical part chronologically introduces the history of the schools since their inception ( complete dissolution ), to the present. The history of a particular schools in this area is the material source used to formulate the project for for students of different schools as the general public. The main aim of this project is to familiarize pupils with the history of their school and to strengthen the students' relationship to the school. The project will be realized in the school year 2014/2015. All proposed activities and expected outcomes are formulated according to the Framework Educational Programme.