Project method
Project Method is a philosophy of education first formulated by William Heard Kilpatrick in the early 20th Century.[1] The method is based in progressive education, is child-centred, and is in used by teachers worldwide to this day.[2] Unlike traditional conservative education, proponents of the Project Method attempt to allow the student to solve problems with as little teacher direction as possible. The teacher is seen more as a facilitator than a deliver of knowledge and information.
Students in a Project Method environment should be allowed to explore and experience their environment through their senses and, in a sense, direct their own learning by their individual interests. Very little is taught from textbooks and the emphasis is on experiential learning, rather than rote and memorization. A Project Method classroom focuses on democracy and collaboration to solve "purposeful" problems.
Kilpatrick devised four classes of projects for his method: construction (such as writing a play), enjoyment (such as experiencing a concert), problem (for instance, discussing a complex social problem like poverty), and specific learning (learning of skills such as swimming).
Literature
- Michael Knoll: The Project Method: Its Vocational Education Origin and International Development. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education 34 (1997), 59-80
- Michael Knoll: 'A Marriage on the Rocks': An Unknown Letter by William H. Kilpatrick About His Project Method. Eric-online document 511129 (2010-08-04).
References
- ^ Kilpatrick, William Heard (1929). The Project Method: The Use of the Purposeful Act in the Educative Process. Teachers College, Columbia University.
- ^ Gutek, Gerald L. (2009). New Perspectives on Philosophy and Education. Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 0-205-59433-6.