St Peter’s College Project Based Learning makes a world of difference to the student of the future
St Peter’s - going bravely into the future
When St Peter’s College, a co-educational independent school in Sandton, Johannesburg decided to implement the Project-Based Learning (PBL) programme in 2018, the initiative posed its own “real-world” problems, just as the PBL concept demands. While these challenges required persistence, re-evaluation, adaptation and adjustments, the decision to follow the PBL path is now bearing fruit.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a Student-Centered Learning approach which encourages students to take ownership of their learning. Pupils gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, real-world problem or challenge. The emphasis is on the learning attained through the journey, rather than the assessment grade at the end.
“Some years back, we noticed a decline in the ability to read with comprehension and, at the same time, noted increased anxiety and stress levels linked to the need to perform to a numerical assessment level. We felt that there had to be a better, kinder and more joyous way of learning and started exploring options,” says St Peter’s College Headmaster, Rui Morais. “We looked for a strategy or programme that would address both the academic skills that we felt were lacking, and the attitude to learning and assessment. The PBL approach which allows pupils to construct knowledge through trial and error with the facilitation of a teacher but no direct instruction seemed to offer exactly what we needed.“
The new teaching method was introduced across Grades 8 and 9 of the College in January of 2018. The timetable was adjusted to include 14-16 day projects facilitated by a subject specialist and providing feedback instead of grades.
The teaching staff worked through material developed by PBL Works, Suzie Boss and John Lamer and used outside trainers to help develop their facilitation skills. Each teacher was tasked with developing a project that pupils could choose. While they were given a design template, there was no constraint on topic and the result was a bank of approximately 50 projects, covering subjects like puppetry, car magazine journalism, social activism projects, micro-farming, coding and cooking.
At the same time, the College embarked on the process of informing new and existing parents about PBL, its well-documented advantages and the anticipated impact on the curriculum and timetabling structure. The response was overwhelmingly and hearteningly positive.
It was all systems go, but the practicalities of implementing PBL proved more difficult than envisaged. The availability on a teacher’s timetable did not always coincide with enthusiasm or skill, while the large groups of pupils on certain projects put pressure on venue space and teacher accessibility. “It was not an optimal environment for teachers to hone their facilitation skills,” says Morais. “The balance of how and when to intervene is a difficult and intuitive skill that cannot be taught in a workshop; it is something that is developed over time. At the same time, we realised that certain subject disciplines and teachers are better disposed to this methodology than others.“
There was also a negative effect on the staff body. Teachers had initially welcomed the value of a different approach, but an insidious perception that the current methodology was therefore incorrect or faulty, undermined their sense of self-worth and caused a lack of cohesion. The removal of the long-entrenched numerical assessment system was to alleviate stress, but criteria-referenced evaluation demanded a lot more thought and time input from already stretched teachers and pupils did not initially grasp the value of feedback over that of a grade.
Amidst these challenges, however there were “quiet wins”. Opportunities started to open up for students who were not academically inclined but began experiencing success at school and beyond; in some cases for the first time. Skills like time-management and group work skills improved as did group-work insights and an overall growth mindset.
“A thorough evaluation showed enough positives and growth to work on improving the systems of delivery of PBL” explains Morais. “Then COVID happened! At least the small disruption of PBL implementation had prepared us for coping with disruption on a larger scale. However, the move to online also showed that students’ digital competencies were not at an ideal level and the scope of the PBL programme was further extended to include a digital element.”
In the year that followed, St Peter’s made significant changes to the delivery and organisation of the PBL programme, kicking off with an overt teaching of the PBL principles to the pupils which outlined the expected attitudes and values and teaching protocols. Pupils learned how to deal with a group discussion, to read a text, to plan, journal and most importantly to give feedback. “Once pupils grasped the skills and language of how to give feedback, they proved to be thoughtful and insightful critics. The subsequent introduction of regular peer assessment has resulted in an improved quality of final products. Feedback to the parents has also been streamlined and makes use of a 3-level tick-box, although teachers still have the option to add a personal comment,” adds Morais.
St Peter’s PBL programme now consists of three components; Project, Digital Skills and Sport or Physical skills. While the Project section fulfills the initial plan, the other two aspects have made the programme more widely beneficial.
The Digital Skills element revolves around the applications and skills that the teachers require the pupils to master. This component saves on academic programme teaching time because pupils come to class already able to use an application. In addition, a small proportion of tasks in this PBL component are allocated marks, which can be used by one or more subjects outside of PBL. The PBL programme is therefore able to be leveraged by other parts of the academic programme.
Exposing students to Sport Skills as part of the PBL offered the opportunity to introduce sports not offered by the co-curricular programme such as lifesaving, grid training or basic first aid. Coaches gained the opportunity to see more students, for longer periods of time, and to encourage physical activity. Pupils who might not opt to play a sport for the school are nonetheless exposed to physical activity, and this in turn has had a beneficial effect on overall mental health. One of the benefits of adding this third leg to the PBL programme has been to reduce the size of the group to thirds which has resolved some of the venue and staffing problems experienced in the initial stages.
“At the heart of St Peter’s ethos is the school’s focus on preparing its students for the world they are entering and teaching them the coping mechanisms they require. As per the College motto ‘In Futurum Fortiter’, we, and they, go bravely into the future. Overcoming the challenges that accompany that attitude is an integral part of the learning process.
The introduction of PBL initiative laid the foundation to develop and introduce other innovative approaches like Blended Learning and the Flipped Classroom. We will continue to expand and explore teaching methodologies that address the academic requirements, social and emotional wellness as well as cultural and sporting development. I believe that St Peter’s will always be at the forefront of a forward-thinking education.” concludes Morais.