Teaching Beyond the Classroom: A Project-Based Innovation in a Language Education Course

Abstract

Higher education institutions are consistently seeking ways to deliver more transformative teacher education in a rapidly evolving global environment, and in this complex global environment key practitioner assets include research skills and collective efficacy. Research suggests that project-based learning is one method that nurtures these vital skills. This chapter presents an innovation that describes an instructor and teacher practitioners’ journey through the development of an innovative assessment that used project-based learning pedagogy. As part of formative assessment in a Teaching of Language Arts at the Primary Level course, three cohorts of teacher practitioners (n = 42, 35 and 41, respectively) were exposed to project-based learning pedagogy to address an issue of national importance. In one semester, over three consecutive years, they used classroom projects to distribute 95 reading spaces (mini libraries) to primary schools in two regions in Guyana. The innovation described illustrates how teacher practitioners developed research skills and collective teacher efficacy from the project-based assessment. This type of innovation has implications for the transformative teacher education pedagogy required for meeting rapidly expanding educational needs. It is likely to promote transformative and inquiry-based learning essential for helping teachers to develop collective efficacy to address authentic classroom-based challenges.