Does teamwork fulfill the goal of project-based learning?
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Does teamwork fulfill the goal of project-based learning?

07/04/2025 Osaka Metropolitan University
Project-based learning (PBL), which improves skills through various challenges, is a technique utilized in foreign language and general education classes. Though group work in PBL is actively carried out, the impact of the environment and team size on the motivation to learn has not been fully examined. Further, individual factors, such as language ability, can affect motivation, but it is not clear what effect group work has on these differences.

Therefore, Associate Professor Mitsuko Tanaka at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Sustainable System Sciences examined the impact of a PBL group work environment on student motivation using 154 university students who had taken an English as a second language class. Separated into 50 groups ranging from three to five members, the students were tasked with topic-based projects and presentations. At the end of the semester, a questionnaire that analyzed gender, group size, and individual factors, including learner beliefs and competence, was distributed to assess the group work environment.

The results of the analysis showed that there was no effect due to the size of the group, but there was a significant difference depending on the group work environment and individual factors. In addition, it was also found that if the group work environment is good, motivation tends to increase regardless of such factors.

“This research has shown that appropriate environmental preparation is essential for the success of project-based learning,” stated Professor Tanaka. “I believe these findings can be an important guideline for educational practitioners to recognize the importance of the group work environment in PBL.”

The findings were published in System.

Funding
The preparation of this article was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number JP17K02993).

Declarations of interest
None.

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About OMU
Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/
Journal: System
Title: Impact of group work environment and size on L2 motivation in project-based learning
DOI: 10.1016/j.system.2025.103621
Author(s): Mitsuko Tanaka
Publication date: 15 February 2025
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103621
Fichiers joints
  • Collaborative work in project-based learning: Motivation of English as second language learners is largely impacted by the environment, an Osaka Metropolitan University researcher finds. Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University
07/04/2025 Osaka Metropolitan University
Regions: Asia, Japan
Keywords: Humanities, Education, Linguistics, Society, Social Sciences

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