A Longitudinal Investigation of Project–based Instruction and Student Achievement in High School Social Studies
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Abstract
This longitudinal study focused on how project–based instruction (PBI) influencedsecondary social studies students’ academic achievement and promoted College andCareer Readiness (CCR). We explored and compared student achievement in a PBI highschool versus a traditional instruction high school within the same rural school district.While previous literature indicated that PBI involved more preparation time and a steeperlearning curve for both teachers and students, we found that in high school social studies,students’ achievement gains actualized within one year. PBI students outperformedpeers who learned from a traditional curriculum in both social studies achievement andCCR preparedness.
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