The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school
Abstract Project-based learning (PBL) as an instructional method has been adopted across various academic disciplines, including foreign language education. While existing research has demonstrated the significant efficacy of PBL in enhancing students’ foreign language acquisition, investigations in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05519-y |
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| author | Panpan Yang Sirui Chen Wenlan Zhang Jiawei Chen |
| author_facet | Panpan Yang Sirui Chen Wenlan Zhang Jiawei Chen |
| author_sort | Panpan Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Project-based learning (PBL) as an instructional method has been adopted across various academic disciplines, including foreign language education. While existing research has demonstrated the significant efficacy of PBL in enhancing students’ foreign language acquisition, investigations into its implementation and effectiveness within rural education settings remain notably scarce. This study adopted a mixed method design to conduct an 8-week pedagogical intervention, analyzing the effectiveness of PBL on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance in a Chinese rural junior middle school. The quantitative results showed that the projected-based language learning (PBLL) enhanced EFL learners’ learning motivation, whereas its impact on academic achievement tests yielded limited effects. The qualitative data indicated that EFL learners showed greater interest in PBLL instruction. The findings suggest that PBLL can serve as an effective pedagogical approach to enhance rural EFL learners’ learning motivation, contextual writing skills, and alignment between instruction and standardized assessment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5f441eb5a6e24ba297fb10e8437bbb4b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-5f441eb5a6e24ba297fb10e8437bbb4b2025-08-20T04:01:52ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-07-0112111110.1057/s41599-025-05519-yThe impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural schoolPanpan Yang0Sirui Chen1Wenlan Zhang2Jiawei Chen3Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal UniversityFaculty of Teacher Development, Shaanxi Normal UniversityFaculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal UniversityFaculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal UniversityAbstract Project-based learning (PBL) as an instructional method has been adopted across various academic disciplines, including foreign language education. While existing research has demonstrated the significant efficacy of PBL in enhancing students’ foreign language acquisition, investigations into its implementation and effectiveness within rural education settings remain notably scarce. This study adopted a mixed method design to conduct an 8-week pedagogical intervention, analyzing the effectiveness of PBL on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance in a Chinese rural junior middle school. The quantitative results showed that the projected-based language learning (PBLL) enhanced EFL learners’ learning motivation, whereas its impact on academic achievement tests yielded limited effects. The qualitative data indicated that EFL learners showed greater interest in PBLL instruction. The findings suggest that PBLL can serve as an effective pedagogical approach to enhance rural EFL learners’ learning motivation, contextual writing skills, and alignment between instruction and standardized assessment.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05519-y |
| spellingShingle | Panpan Yang Sirui Chen Wenlan Zhang Jiawei Chen The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school |
| title_full | The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school |
| title_fullStr | The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school |
| title_short | The impact of project-based learning on EFL learners’ learning motivation and academic performance: an empirical study in a Chinese rural school |
| title_sort | impact of project based learning on efl learners learning motivation and academic performance an empirical study in a chinese rural school |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05519-y |
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