Project-based approaches to enhance english writing skills and collaboration in geography among grade eight students in a lower secondary school in Bhutan

Abstract

This study is a qualitative research project focusing on grade eight students’ English writing skills in a Lower Secondary School in Bhutan. The aims of this study are: 1) to implement a project-based approaches into geography classroom to strengthen grade eight students’ English writing skills on geography, 2) to find out how a project-based approaches enhances collaboration among students when they do a writing project on geography, and 3) to see whether or not a project-based approach improve student’s writing and collaboration. Participants in this project contain three groups of three students who volunteered to join this study. The instruments for data collection includes: a) student’s reflections, b) teacher’s journals, c) semi-structured interviews, and d) students writing assignments. The researcher triangulates these data to answer the three research questions and found out that project-based approaches encourage the participants English writing skills in many ways, for example, they write their work more systematically with critical reason and supporting details. Also, project-based approaches support students’ collaboration, encourage their group work and friendly learning atmosphere. Finally, project-based approaches give these students motivation, opportunities, and more resources. In sum, the researcher learns from this study that project-based approaches consume a lot of time and attempts to work on both students’ and teacher’s sides.