PROJECT METHOD
Among
all the methods of teaching geography, Project method is the most important
which is frequently applicable to teaching-learning process. It is a method
which stands against the traditional method of teaching where the theoretical
knowledge from the book is accepted and received by the students. In
propagating this method, American educationist John Dewey did much work.
Prof. Kilpatrick defined a project as “a purposeful
activity which proceeds in a social environment. J.A Stevenson who perfected it
as a method of teaching said “it is a problematic act carried to completion in
its natural setting. “According to C.V. Good “A Project is a significant unit
of activity, having educational value and aimed at one or more definite goals
of understanding.
It involves investigation and solution of problems and
frequently the use and manipulate of physical materials. It is planned and
carried to completion by the pupils and the teacher in a natural life-like
manner.” Project may be individual or co-operative, large or small. It may be
employed according the mental age of the pupils. But that must be done under
the guidance of an expert.
Psychologically, the project method is based on the principles
of learning by doing encourages maximum amount of purposefully activity on the
part of the pupils. Adopting method, the heart, head and hand are to be
functional. That means both the physical and also the mental powers of the
child are to be exercised or utilized.
§ Basic Principles of Project Method
1. The project must be
based on activity-mental or motor.
2. It must be
purposeful in its action.
3. Under the project,
the children must accumulate experience-manipulative, concrete or mental.
4. It must provide real
experience.
5. It must be useful in
nature.
§ Steps of Project Method
The project method consists in the following steps
1. Providing a situation:
A Project is never to be forced upon pupils. Situations may be provided by
conservations or different topics, discussions on pictures, buildings or
cities, by telling stories or taking out children on excursions and educational
tours and trips.
2. Choosing a Project:
After a situation has been provided, the next step is the choice of a good
project. Only such a project should be selected as many satisfy some real need
of the pupils and for the good of all of them. The pupil must feel that the
project is their own.
3. Planning: After suitable choice
has been made, the next step is preparing a plan for the execution of the
project. The entire planning is to be done by the pupils under the guidance of
the teacher, after a good deal of discussion. Each child should be encouraged
to participate in the discussion and offer his suggestions. The entire plan
should be put in black and white by the pupils in their project book is
complete.
4. Executing: When the plan is ready
the teacher should encourage the pupil to put in into practice. He should ask
the pupils to assign duties and distribute work among themselves, according to
their individual interests and capacities. Each must be given some duty to do
for the successful completion of the project. Then, they should be asked to
work in co-operation with one another till the project is complete.
5. Judging or Evaluating:
After the completion of project, the student should be asked to review their
work. They should note their mistakes, if any, and see whether they had
proceeded, according to the plan or not. It is a sort of self-criticism which
is a very important from training and should never be neglected.
6. Recording: All the pupils should
maintain a project-book in which they should put down a complete record of all
the activities, connected with the project. This record will be including the choice
of project, its planning, discussions held, difficulties felt, duties assigned,
references and books consulted, information gathered, experiences gained,
guidance sought etc. Important points for further references and guidance are
also to be noted down.
§ Geographical Project Employed in Schools
Geographical project may consist of running of a
vegetable stall or cloth, cultivation or ploughing of field, running of a
school, an agricultural farm, a post office. Village and town markets are other
geographical projects. Another type of project consists in the preparation of
models of house, school, railway station etc. For the senior students the
following are recommended:
1. Making sand or clay
models of different sections of the various river valleys-the Ganges, the Indus
etc.
2. Pupils may be
encouraged to stage a play showing the life in various regions of the world.
3. A hill scene i.e.,
Shimla or National showing railway lines, a bridge, cultivated fields, roads
and other important features.
4. Pupils may be asked
to prepare economic and distributional of the local area.
5. Setting and running
a geographical museum is another important and useful project of educational
value.
6. Pupils may be
encouraged to read papers and organize excursions.
7. Pupils may cultivate
a vegetable or a fruit garden.
§
Merits
of Project Method:
1.
As
it is based on the psychological principle.
It is only for the development of the inherited traits of the child
providing the most natural conditions.
2.
Applying
this method, education gets more meaning and value in comparison to the
traditional methods of teaching.
3.
It
develops social values like co-operation, fellow – feeling and brotherhood.
4.
As
it involves manual activities, it emphasizes the dignity of labor.
5.
The
students by this method, understand the understand the importance of learning
by doing and direct experience of things.
6.
This
method employs the sense and not mere words or symbols:
7.
It
trains the pupils in the exercise of invention and self – responsibility.
8.
The
child gets training in research work through this method.
9.
The
child derives satisfaction when he achieves something by his own efforts.
10. Lastly, the students can
evaluate their work.
§
Demerits of Project Method
1.
It
requires more money to be spent and this is very difficult to manage.
2.
Trained
and qualified teachers to put this method into practice are not available.
3.
All
schools do not have resources to use this method.
4.
Projects
are difficult to devise for all stages of teaching.
5. Good text books on these lines
have not yet been produced.
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