Higher education is aimed at training of highly qualified graduates. They should be oriented towards interdisciplinary thinking if they want to be successful in the global environment. Thus a lot of innovative approaches are used in teaching. Project-based learning is one of them.
Project-based learning helps learners to study the topic from different viewpoints, follow connections across different subjects and develop skills you need to succeed in today’s world [4]. It promotes the exploration of the real-world challenges and problems, develops professional competencies [3]. Besides project-based learning helps to develop:
- planning;
- critical thinking;
- problem solving;
- reasoning;
- decision making;
- initiative;
- creativity;
- communication skills;
- organizational skills;
- teamwork skills;
- personal responsibility and self-discipline;
- time management skills [6, 7, 9, 10].
Depending on the tasks, projects may be:
- problem-based;
- inquiry-based;
- student-centered.
On the whole, projects should:
- be age appropriate;
- be interdisciplinary;
- reflect real-world tasks;
- have an open-ended problem;
- require research and analysis;
- provide cognitive, creative activities;
- require the discussion of the solutions to the problem;
- require the presentation of work [1, 2, 8].
The teacher should:
- facilitate the process of learning;
- create and promote a collaborative learning environment;
- initiate the projects that will let all learners meet with success;
- not set limitations;
- teach the learners to manage their time;
- ask learners to explain the reasoning behind their actions;
- provide resources and guidance;
- provide feedback.
Project-based learning in physics implies the following interdisciplinary areas:
- mathematics;
- chemistry;
- geography;
- biology;
- geology [9].
There are a lot of topics for projects in physics. For example:
- Electricity in everyday life and in engineering; geography;
- Wind energy;
- Wireless energy transfer;
- Peaceful atom;
- Smart house, etc.
The topics may concern some theoretical questions of the curriculum to deepen and enrich students’ subject knowledge. But more often the theme projects are relevant to practical life and require students’ knowledge in different subjects, as well as creative thinking and research skills. Thus, projects in physics help to achieve a natural integration of knowledge, collect the data from various sources and compare the observations of the phenomena from various viewpoints. Besides projects contribute to the interest to the subject, expand the knowledge, encourage the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills, and promote communicate. The method of projects widens the knowledge, develops research skills and cognitive interest [5, 9, 10].
Thus project-based learning at lessons in physics teaches learners to think independently, identify and solve practical problems, using knowledge from different fields, predict the results and the possible consequences of different solutions to the problem. It establishes cause-and-effect links, develops creative thinking skills and adapts to a fast-changing, globally competitive world.
References:
1. Баранов А. В. Виртуальные проекты и проблемно-деятельностный подход при обучении физике в техническом вузе // Физическое образование в ВУЗах. 2012. Т. 18. № 4. С. 90–96.
2. Березина О. Я., Назаров А. И., Сергеева О. В. Использование метода проектов в физпрактикуме для бакалавров инженерных специальностей // Физическое образование в ВУЗах. 2014. Т. 20. № 1. С. 98–106.
3. Дуда А. В. Использование метода проектов как предпосылка формирования специализированной компетентности // Проблемы современной науки. 2013. № 10–1. С. 98–103.
4. Ефремова О. Н. Учебные проекты как системообразующий компонент интеграции различных дисциплин // Современные проблемы науки и образования. 2012. № 6. С. 312.
5. Кочергина Н. В., Плащевая Е. В., Машиньян А. А. Методическая система проектного обучения физике // Вестник Челябинского государственного педагогического университета. 2009. № 2. С. 120–126.
6. Мельникова И. Ю. Экспериментальные задания по физике как средство развития исследовательских и творческих способностей учеников // Физика. Первое сентября. 2010. № 18. С. 13–20.
7. Федорова Н. Б., Борисова М. А. Современные тенденции управления образовательным процессом на уроке физике в современной школе // Физика в школе. 2014. № 1. С. 37–42.
8. Шишковский В. И., Лобода Ю. О. Повышение качества довузовской и вузовской подготовки по физике: новые возможности метода проектов // Вестник Томского государственного педагогического университета. 2004. № 6. С. 115–119.
9. Holubova R. Effective teaching methods — Project-based learning in physics // US-China Education Review. 2008, Vol. 5, No.12. P. 27–36.
10. Hussain Sh. The effectiveness of teaching physics through project method on academic achievement of students at secondary level — a case study // Journal of Education and Practice. 2011. Vol. 2, No 8. P. 28–34.
