Barriers to teacher’s implementation of project based learning and learner’s acquisition of practical skills. case of some government primary schools in mfoundi division

Abstract

Our study is titled “Barriers to Teacher’s Implementation of Project Based Learning and Learner’s Acquisition of Practical Skills”. Since 2018, a new active and pragmatic teaching method, Project Based Learning was instituted in the New Curriculum for primary schools aimed at developing learner’s aptitudes in practical work through projects realisations in classrooms for instance producing a broom, fabricating a chair, molding a pot , stitching, baking a cake, perfect use of a computer and so on. From an observation that in most government primary schools in Mfoundi Division Center region of Cameroon, this pedagogic reform is nearly inexistent. Being inquisitive to find an explanation on what could obstruct the implementation of Project Based Learning in schools, we conducted a field study in six (06) schools from three (03) different sub-divisions (Yaounde 2, 5 and 6 sub-divisions) selected randomly. A sample size of sixty (60) teachers and five (05) head teachers constituted the population of our study. We opted for a mixed study so used the questionnaires and interview guide as instruments of data collection. Data collected was analysed through the Chi-square independence test for the quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data with the help of SPSS version 25. The following results were obtained from the data analyses: RH1 revealed that the lack of resources: pedagogic, material and financial significantly influences learner’s acquisition of practical skills with Chi-square value = 213,683 with degree of freedom= 99, associate P-value =,000 below threshold of 0,05. With this result the null Hypothesis (H0) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) accepted. RH2 revealed that the insufficient in-service training of teachers significantly influences learner’s acquisition of practical skills with Chi-square value, = 136,281 with degree of freedom =81, associate Pvalue= ,000 below threshold of 0,05. When the p-value is below the significance level of 0,05 the alternative hypothesis (Ha) accepted and the null hypothesis (H0) rejected. RH3 revealed that overcrowded classrooms significantly influence learner’s acquisition of practical skills with Chi-square value= 155,740 with degree of freedom =81, associate P-value =,000 below threshold of 0,05. The result validated the alternative hypothesis (Ha) and the null hypothesis (H0) was rejected. The three research hypotheses accepted, validated the general hypothesis of the study which stipulate that barriers to teacher’s implementation of Project-Based Learning significantly affect learner’s acquisition of practical skills. The study calls for the attention of the competent bodies in the field of education precisely the Ministry of Basic Education to consider these barriers, provide solutions so as to ameliorate the implementation of Project Based Learning in particular and quality education in primary schools in general.