Effects of Project-based learning Professional Development on 21st-Century Skills

This research project was designed to add to the limited available research concerning effects of project-based learning professional development on 21st-century skills within rural Arkansas settings. The researcher sought to determine if high school teachers, trained in project-based learning in the NTN model, perceived they taught and assessed their students’ 21st-century skills differently than high school teachers not trained in project-based learning under the NTN model. This casual comparative study was conducted in 20 school districts in Arkansas with a total student population of approximately 11,646 from 6th grade to 12th grade. The 21st-Century Teaching and Learning Survey was used to collect data on frequency of practice use and extensiveness of use measures for eight 21st-century skills. The sample for this study examined teacher perceptions from ten schools participating in project-based learning professional development in the New Tech model. Two schools participated in the NTN professional development and began year one implementation of project-based learning in 2011-2012. Eight schools participated in the NTN professional development and began year one implementation of project-based learning in 2012-2013. Ten additional schools were selected to form the group of nonparticipating schools. Schools were selected based on similar demographics of enrollment and poverty level as indicated by free and reduced lunch enrollment. For each measure of 21st-century skills, the researcher focused on the difference between teachers who participated in extended project-based learning professional development and others who did not participate in extended project-based learning professional development on the frequency of use and extensiveness of use of 21stcentury skills. The study compared mean scores and computed effect sizes based on overall standard deviation. Statistical significance was calculated using independent samples t tests for comparison of means. The results of this study showed significant differences between the group means for 6 of the 8 hypotheses