This master thesis consists of theoretical and empirical part, which are further divided into several subsections. In the theoretical part, areas related to the use of Project-Based Learning in elementary school are presented. I highlighted the importance of teamwork and cooperation, as well as the essential principles for successful collaborative interacition.
Appropriate communication is essential for the use of good collaborative skills in group work. I emphasized the roles of teacher and pupil in Project-Based Learning, where the teacher is not an active leader of the learning process, thus he has to be properly pedagogically-psychologically and professionally qualified to cooperate with pupils, to motivate them during the work and to encourage their creativity.
Creativity is based on the ability of divergent thinking, the main characteristics of which are fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration. In order for them to cultivate, the teacher should carefully plan the learning environment and create tasks to challenge the pupils with an appropriate level of cognitive problems. The purpose of enouraging creativity in school is not an exceptional end product, but development of pupil's potentials.
Pupils will experience most freedom and space for creative expression in learning environment that is related to their interests, behaviour and current/relevant cultural trends. Therefore I decided to link the popular hip hop culture with the classical Slovene tale about Kekec.
The empirical part describes the lessons carried out in the classroom to introduce the work and later performances of different phases regarding to the Project-Based Learning. I focused on the workflow towards the final product, which was set by pupils. My main poits of observation were motivation, cooperation, active work and creativity while working, as well as the class climate. 22 learners were included in the research. The findings acquired during research confirmed my prior presumptions.
On the premise of team-based evaluation I came to the conclusion that Project-Based Learning is a useful method for school work. It enables students to cooperate, motivates them for successful performance in the learning process and encourages them to achieve results. At the same time they are developing their creativity and strengthening their self-confidence. Project-Based Learning approach inspires them for further participation in similar projects, it encourages their willingness to work and develops their persistance for learning more complex topics.
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