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A Guide du Routard Simulation: Increasing Self‐Efficacy in the Standards Through Project‐Based Learning
Author(s) -
Mills Nicole
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2009.01046.x
Subject(s) - psychology , foreign language , competence (human resources) , curriculum , project based learning , self efficacy , mathematics education , language acquisition , pedagogy , empirical research , medical education , social psychology , medicine , philosophy , epistemology
Project‐based learning (PBL) is described as a student‐centered approach to learning in which students collaborate on sequential authentic tasks and develop a final project. Through opportunities to integrate both language and content learning, PBL practitioners suggest that meaningful language use and purposeful communication are fostered (Sheppard & Stoller, 1995; Stoller, 2006). Despite its numerous cited advantages, there are no known empirical studies evaluating the influence of PBL on the self‐efficacy of foreign language learners. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how project‐based learning influenced the development of false beginner French students' self‐efficacy, or perceived competence, in the five goal areas of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Significant improvement was found in students' self‐efficacy in the areas of Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities after participation in the PBL curriculum.