EXPLORING THE USE OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AT TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY, MALAYSIA (12 - 20)

Abstract

The previous research suggested that Project based learning generally has many positive impacts on the learning experience. However there are no in depth studies to explore the impact of Project based learning on student engagement particularly in four aspects namely responsible learning, strategic learning, collaborative and energized by learning. Therefore, this study focuses on the impact of using of Project based learning on student engagement particularly in these four aspects. This paper is an action research study looking at the effect of using project based learning on student engagement in learning History at Taylor’s University, School of Hospitality and Tourism. The study is based on the implementation of a video presentation project assigned to students as a part of their assessment in the Malaysian Studies. The aims of this study are to determine the effect of project based learning on student engagement in learning history, and to improve the teaching and learning experience. Data was collected from focus groups, questionnaires, classroom observations and instructor’s evaluation. The findings demonstrate that project based learning can support student engagement in improving their responsibility, collaboration, strategic learning and motivation. Suggestions for improvement in the implementation of project based learning are also presented based on the findings from this study.