IMPROVING WOULD-BE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING THROUGH READING CLASSES

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study which suggests ways to equip English language teachers-to-be with overall knowledge of project-based learning. A learning-by-doing approach was adopted, in which students cultivated their knowledge of project-based learning by doing the project themselves in reading courses. During the process of implementing the project and in the project presentation, in-depth discussions were made about steps to carry out a project, products of a project as well as criteria for assessing a project. A survey questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the course to find out students’ current knowledge of project-based learning. Another survey and interviews were conducted at the end of the course to find out whether the intervention program could improve students’ knowledge of project-based learning and their attitude to it. The obtained results revealed that the intervention did help would-be English language teachers have a deeper understanding of project-based learning and that the participants had positive reaction to it.