Classroom Management in Project Work

May Britt Postholm

Programme for Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2015.619212                

Abstract

The article Classroom management in project work focuses on the project work method and the teacher’s leader role in a lower secondary school. The main reason for focusing on this work method is that we must continuously learn and develop to keep up with societal developments. The article argues that education and training in school should enable and encourage pupils to use their curiosity and ask questions they want answers to, and in this way create a lifelong learning process when their formal schooling has come to an end. This leads to the project work method, which starts with a research question or problem formulation. The goal of teaching in lower secondary school in Norway is that it should be varied and practical, while the pupils should also experience it as relevant and challenging. The intention is that such a work form will increase pupil motivation and learning. The purpose of this article is to show how the project-work method may provide teaching that is varied, practical, relevant and challenging. Moreover, another aim is to highlight the teacher’s role as the leader of pupil learning in project work. The article is based on a qualitative case study where the empirical findings have been analysed according to Dewey’s and Vygotsky’s theories and to theories on classroom management.

Keywords

Classroom Management, Teacher as Leader, Project Work, Qualitative Study

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Berthelsen, J., Illeris, K., & Poulsen, S. C. (1987). Innføringiprosjektarbeid. [Introduction to Project Work] Oslo: Forlaget Fag ogKultur A/S.
[2]	Boekaerts, M., Pintrich, P., & Zeidner, M. (2000). Self-Regulation: An Introductory Review. In M. Boekarts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of Self-Regulation (pp. 1-9). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50030-5
[3]	Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design. Choosing among Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
[4]	Denzin, N. D., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2000). Introduction. In N. K. Denzin, & Y. S. Lincoln, (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 1-28). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.
[5]	Dewey, J. (1900). The School and Society. Chicago: The University Chicago Press.
[6]	Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education. New York: Macmillan Company.
[7]	Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Macmillan Company.
[8]	Doyle, W. (1986). Classroom Organization and Management. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook on Research on Teaching (3rd ed., pp. 392-431). London: MacMillan Publishing Company.
[9]	Doyle, W. (2006). Ecological Management to Classroom Management. In C. M. Evertson, & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of Classroom Management: Research, Practice, and Competence Issues (pp. 97-125). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associated.
[10]	Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2006). Classroom Management as a Field of Inquiry. In C. M. Evertson, & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of Classroom Management: Research, Practice, and Competence Issues (pp. 3-15). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associated.
[11]	Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive Aspects of Problem Solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The Nature of Intelligence (pp. 231-235). Hillsdale, NJ: Earlbaum.
[12]	Friedman, I. A. (2006). Classroom Management and Teacher Stress and Burnout. In C. Evertson, & C. Weinstein (Eds.), The Handbook of Classroom Management (pp. 925-944). Mahwah, NL: Lawrence Erlbaum Associated.
[13]	Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books.
[14]	Gudmundsdottir, S. (2001). Narrative Research in School Practice. In V. Richardson (Ed.), Fourth Handbook for Research on Teaching (pp. 226-240). New York: Macmillan.
[15]	Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning—A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. New York: Routledge.
[16]	Haug, P. (2012). Aktivitetene i klasseromma. [Activities in the Classroom]. In P. Haug (Ed.), Kvalitetiopplæringa [Quality in Education] (pp. 58-76). Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget.
[17]	Juul, J., & Jensen, H. (2003). Fra lydighettilansvarlighet—Pedagogiskrelasjonskompetanse. [From Obedience to Responsibility]. Oslo: Pedagogisk forum.
[18]	Kilpatrick, W. H. (1918). The Project Method: The Use of the Purposeful Act in the Education Process. Teachers College Record, 19, 319-335.
[19]	Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2009). Det kvalitative forskningsintervju. [The Qualitative Research Interview]. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk.
[20]	Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
[21]	Marzano, R. (2009). Classroom Management That Works—Research Based Strategies for Every Teacher. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
[22]	NESH (2006). Forskningsetiskeretningslinjer for samfunnsvitenskap, jus oghumaniora [Research Ethical Guidelines for Social Science, Law and the Humanities]. Oslo: Norwegian National Committees for Research Ethics. http://www. etikkom. no/no/Vart-arbeid/Hvem-er-vi/Komite-for-samfunnsvitenskap-og-humaniora/
[23]	Nordenbo, S. E., Larsen, M. S., Tiftikci, N., Wendt, R. E., & Østergaard, S., Ministry of Education and Research (2008). Lærerkompetanser og elevers læring i barnehage og skole. Et systematisk review utført for Kunnskapsdepartementet. [Teacher Competence and Pupils’ Learning in Day Care and School. A Systematic Review by the Ministry of Education and Research]. Oslo (2nd Printing) [Copenhagen] Danmarkspædagodiske Universitetsforlagand Dansk Clearinghouse for uddannelsesforskning.
[24]	Ogden, T. (2004). Kvalitetsskolen. [The Quality School]. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk.
[25]	Prawat, R. S. (1996). Constructivisms, Modern and Postmodern. Educational Psychologist, 31, 191-206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00461520.1996.9653268
[26]	Reeve, J, (1996). Motivating Others: Nurturing Inner Motivational Resources. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
[27]	Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: Classic Differences and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
[28]	Stensmo, C., & Harder, J. (2009). Lederstiliklasseværelset—Innovation ogprofessionalitet. [Leadership Style in the Classroom— Innovation and Professionalism]. Fredrikshavn: Dafoloforlag.
[29]	Von Ottingen, A. (2003). Det pædagogiske paradoks. [The Pedagogic Paradox]. Copenhagen: Klim forlag.
[30]	Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
[31]	Vygotsky, L. S. (2000). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
[32]	Wubbels, T. (2011). An International Perspective on Classroom Management: What Should Prospective Teachers Learn? Teaching Education, 22, 113-131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2011.567838
[33]	Zimmerman, B. J. (2001). Theories of Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement. In B. J. Zimmerman, & D. Schunk (Eds.), Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: Theory, Research, and Practice (pp. 1-25). New York: Springer-Verlag.
[34]	Zimmerman, B. J. (2006). Development and Adaption of Expertise: The Role of Self-Regulatory Processes and Beliefs. In K. A. Ericsson, N. Charness, P. J. Feltovich, & R. R. Hoffman, (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance (pp. 705-722). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511816796.039