Percepciones de los estudiantes de Educación Básica Media, sobre el Aprendizaje basado en Proyectos, de una institución fiscal urbana del cantón Cuenca

Abstract

Currently, education aims for students to take a more prominent role in the classroom, allowing them to make decisions and giving practical meaning to what they learn. This has led to questioning teaching methodologies and strategies, highlighting school projects, allowing students to choose how to develop theirlearning. In this context, the present research focused on the study of Project-Based Learning (PBL) to understand the perceptions of middle school students about this methodology. The adopted methodology was qualitative, using a phenomenological design to explore the subjective experiences of the students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students from an urban institution in Cuenca, selected through quota sampling. The obtained data were analyzed with the Atlas.ti software. The results revealed that students value the collaboration, leadership, and autonomy that PBL fosters. However, they also pointed out the lack of resources, resistance to change, and limited autonomy in choosing topics as challenges. Teachers were perceived as crucial guides for the success of PBL, although some students found their explanations insufficient. Factors such as time organization and group selection are key for the effectiveness of PBL. In conclusion, PBL is a valuable methodology that promotes meaningful learning and the integral development of students, but its implementation faces challenges. It is recommended to strengthen teacher training, provide adequate resources, foster student autonomy, and improve evaluation to maximize the benefits of PBL.